24: Day 6: ALTERNATE VERSION!
by BrettR4763
Summary: 24's Season 6 was a complete and utter disaster. This will be a satisfactory alternate version that will fit right in between Days 5 and 7. ENJOY!
1. 5:00 PM  6:00 PM

S P O I L E R S!

Starring

Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer

Mary Lynn Rajskub as Chloe O'Brian

David Andriole as John Hansen

Ray Wise as President Hal Gardner

Peter MacNicol as Liam Benash

Chad Lowe as Abraham Springer

and Some Respected Middle-Age Chinese Actor as Huang Wei

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24 as a groundbreaking television series is long gone, but that doesn't mean my love affair for it will go away anytime soon. In fact, it's probably grown even larger since the series ended.

As you can see if you look at my profile, I've done many fanfictions of this great show, although it has sadly been years. There were various reasons, some good, some bad, but regardless it's time to get back to publishing and reaffirm my undying love for this franchise.

Any diamond will have its roughs, its glaring imperfections, and for such a masterpiece like 24, that was Seasons 3 and 6. And while I tried my best to "fix" Day 3, Day 6 was beyond repair. The pace was much too fast and unrealistic, it was preachy, the plots were unexciting and repetitive from seasons past, the characters were uninteresting, and there was no way to connect all the disparate acts and plot threads-AT ALL.

At least Day 3 had a solid "core" I could work from and try to improve, even though now I'm beginning to see my own faults five years after the fact. But Day 6...best thing to do is to just throw out the whole thing and start anew.

The first mistake, clearly, was not setting Jack in China, or at the very least making the main plot about something to do with China. It was just like Day 3, "forgetting" the huge loose ends left at the end of Day 2, and it set the tone: Day 6 would be even more of a disappointment than Day 3.

At least they didn't try to wash it all away with a single throwaway line, but Day 6 should've been the story of Jack in China, just like Day 3 should've continued the story of Day 2.

The sad thing is that this project has been in development for YEARS. I started writing right away in early 2007, just after the season premiere of Day 6 and the deflating realization that the story would not be about China. What you're about to read was initially my idea for Day 5, but after the real Day 5 blew me away, it became my idea for "Jack in China." So I intended for it be to be MY Day 6, with the real Season 6 following after it narratively.

But, as we all know, Season 6 bombed miserably, and so this story would be a true "alternate" Day 6, replacing it entirely.

Unfortunately, after I had written about an episode or so of material, I got caught up in other things, high school graduation, college, the Obama campaign, and I lost interest. But with 24 ending, the desire to get started again grew greater and greater, and I couldn't resist.

It's not finished, and it probably will be many months-maybe years-before it is. So don't expect too much. After having had reached the critical milestone of eight finished episodes, 1/3rd of a season, I just want to get it out there and see what you have to say.

I always appreciate feedback, so please, please write a review. Thank you very much.

Anyway, it's been a full twenty-six months, 2 years 2 months, since Jack was captured by the Chinese at the end of Day 5. In recent months, he's been transferred to a remote prison in northern China, run by Huang Wei. He lives the hard life as a prisoner at a labor camp, but all that's going to change one fateful afternoon...

5:00 P.M. (China Standard Time)  
A bearded Jack hoes a small patch of dirt in a prison labor camp in northern China. He stops working for a moment, and is yelled at by Lin, one of the guards. Jack gets back to work, sighing.

5:01 P.M.  
In Beijing, Chloe enters a Chinese courthouse. Her boyfriend Morris is with her and warns her that this visit isn't on their schedule. Chloe tells Morris that this is her only chance to save Jack.

5:03 P.M.  
Jack looks at another prisoner Tiao out of the corner of his eye as they pointlessly cultivate the poor land. Suddenly, the sound of a helicopter penetrates the despondent noises of the camp. Jack looks up to see a U.S. military Blackhawk helicopter in the distance flying past the compound. All the prisoners watch as a missile from the ground hits the chopper, sending it spiraling to the earth below. The pilot tries to regain control of the vehicle, but cannot stop his chopper from crashing into the forest.

5:05 P.M.  
Huang Wei, the prison commander, is informed by his guards that the helicopter is down. Huang orders them to the crash site to check for any survivors.

5:06 P.M.  
A clerk for the courthouse summons Chloe and Morris. Chloe lets the man know that she works for the U.S. State Department and is here to appeal for the release of Jack Bauer from their prison. The representative questions her credibility and she is forced to admit that she is acting outside of the State Department's prerogative. The man goes to leave, but Chloe grabs him by the arm. She pleads for the Chinese government to release Jack.

5:07 P.M.  
President Hal Gardner is working in his Air Force One office when his National Security Advisor Audrey Raines informs him that they've lost contact with their Blackhawk helicopter and that satellite evidence indicates it was shot down. The President is upset that the mission failed, and is concerned that this will cause a confrontation with China just as the APEC summit opens tomorrow in Beijing. This news also worries Audrey, who wants Gardner to get the Chinese government to hand over Jack. Gardner tells Audrey that he wishes that he could negotiate Jack's release, but he cannot since the United States has nothing to offer China in exchange. Audrey leaves, dejected. Before she goes, Gardner promises to get Jack back someday when America has more leverage over China and asks her to bring in Duluth.

5:09 P.M.  
The clerk threatens to call security and Chloe walks away. Morris comforts the defeated Chloe and assures her that she did her best. But Chloe is determined to rescue Jack. Morris tries to dissuade her but she refuses to leave the building.

5:10 P.M.  
The prison guards scour the helicopter wreck, and discover that the pilot is still alive. However, he is injured. They pull his unconscious form out of the debris.

-Commercial Break-

5:15 P.M.  
Liam Benash, a reporter for the New York Times, rudely asks Press Secretary Nadia Yassir for the President's position on labor protections for the summit, but she blows him off.

5:16 P.M.  
The atmosphere in the prison yard following the downing of the chopper is tight. Tiao asks Jack whether he knows what is going on but Jack shakes his head. Huang bursts out of the command barracks and, very hurried, approaches an arriving truck. Lin informs Huang that the pilot was the only survivor. Huang wakes the pilot with nitrate poppers and asks for his name. The very dozy pilot tells Huang that his name is John Hansen, and that he won't say another word. Huang demands from John his reason for being on Chinese territory, but John is silent. Huang punches John in the gut but the man doesn't cry out. He recovers and faces Huang down. Angry, Huang orders Lin and the other guards to take John to the interrogation room. When he sees that his altercation with John has interrupted the prisoners in their labor, he irately orders them back to work. As he resumes hoeing, Jack keenly watches John being dragged into the prison facility.

5:18 P.M.  
Neal Duluth, the President's CIA liaison, assures Gardner that the Chinese government does not know of the Blackhawk's crash. The CIA believes that the shoot down of the chopper was a rogue action. Yet Gardner demands confirmation. Duluth vows to get it, and reassures the President that violating China's sovereignty was necessary and that he shouldn't worry about it.

5:19 P.M.  
John is thrown into a dirty cell, smashing his already broken arm. He pants nervously as he waits for the interrogation to begin.

5:20 P.M.  
Morris wants to leave, but Chloe does not want to lose what may be her only chance to save Jack. She abruptly gets up and returns to the clerk, pleading with him to contact his superiors. The clerk picks up the phone to call security, but Chloe asserts that she has clearance from the State Department. Morris rolls his head in frustration.

5:21 P.M.  
Huang goes to his office, and calls his supervisor Cheng Zhi, the head of security from the Chinese Consulate who kidnapped Jack twenty-six months ago. He lets him know that the Blackhawk was shot down as he wanted, and that an American pilot named John Hansen was captured. Cheng orders Huang to break John to find out why he was on foreign soil, and Huang complains, since they have had Jack for over two years and he hasn't broken and now they have an equally resistant American they need to extract information from. Cheng tells him to do it.

5:23 P.M.  
Cheng informs Huang that he'll update the generals of the chopper crash and the pilot's capture, but Huang stops him, not wanting their pressure to break John. Cheng gives him until after the APEC summit to get the information out of him.

5:24 P.M.  
Huang turns on a video monitor watching John's room. Smiling, he watches as John looks around in nervousness. Before the guards start the interrogation, John takes the opportunity to snap the broken bone in his arm back into place. He lets out a gasp in relief. Observing this, Huang takes notes.

5:25 P.M.  
Morris whispers to Chloe that they do not have authorization from the State Department, but Chloe is undaunted. The clerk clears Chloe's credentials, and asks her what she needs. Chloe tells him that all she wants is to get in touch with the prison that is holding Jack. The clerk pledges to do that.

5:26 P.M.  
President Gardner is working on his remarks for the APEC summit when Duluth interrupts with a disturbing threat received by the CIA. Gardner goes to the situation room and is shown the video message in which a masked Asian man points a gun at the President of Vietnam and threatens to kill him in forty-five minutes unless Gardner brings Liam Benash into his inner circle. The President is dumbfounded.

-Commercial Break-

5:31 P.M.  
Chloe is given the contact info for the prison where Jack is. She calls Huang in his office just as he is about to leave to interrogate John. She gives her name and position and asks for the status of Jack. Huang finds it odd for her to be calling at this moment, and Chloe asserts that she's here for the summit.

5:32 P.M.  
When Chloe requests permission to visit the prison, Huang angrily accuses her of knowing about the downed pilot and that her visit is a pretext for an American raid. "What pilot?" she asks, confused.

5:33 P.M.  
Huang has her hand back the phone to the clerk, and he orders him to arrest Chloe and Morris immediately. He hangs up, and marches down to John's chamber. The clerk is perplexed, but asks Chloe and Morris to stay so they can be questioned.

5:34 P.M.  
Instead, Chloe bolts for the exit, and Morris follows closely. The clerk calls a lockdown, and the security guards congregate at the doors to the courthouse. Chloe grabs Morris and leads him upstairs. The guards chase after them.

5:35 P.M.  
Duluth informs the President that the threatening message was made only an hour ago and that they are making good progress tracking the source of the transmission. Gardner is confused why this man would want Benash to be in his loop and how he would even know whether or not he yielded to this demand. Abraham Springer, the Chief of Staff, reminds the President that is the policy of the United States to never yield to any terrorist demands. Gardner assures his staff he wouldn't follow through except as a last resort, and that he's just trying to make sense out of this.

5:36 P.M.  
Huang enters the interrogation room, and tells John that he knows exactly who he is and the names of his wife and children. John is affected, but tries to hide it from Huang. Huang sees this and demands to know why John was invading Chinese territory. John says nothing, and so Huang kicks John in the face. After a few more futile kicks to the groin and face, Huang brings in Lin and the guards to beat up John.

-Commercial Break-

5:40 P.M.  
Still having not said a word, Huang has his men drag the defiant pilot to an elaborate torture device and hook him up to the sinister wires. Through swollen eyes, John stares Huang down as they set him up for the torture.

5:42 P.M.  
The alarms blare as Chloe and Morris dart around the upper levels of the courthouse, avoiding the guards. Chloe suddenly pulls Morris into a large plant and they hide as the guards lose their trail and spread out. Morris lambastes his girlfriend for getting them into this mess. Chloe tries to assure Morris that the State Department will bail them out, and that the thing they need to do is find out what Huang was talking about. Morris asserts that the thing they need to do is to get out of the building.

5:44 P.M.  
Audrey informs Gardner that the CIA pinpointed the location of the transmission and has alerted the Vietnamese military. Duluth comes rushing in to show the President and his staff a live message being sent by the kidnapper. The masked man knows that he has been tracked, but reiterates to Gardner that he will kill the President of Vietnam unless he brings Benash into his confidence. "I will know whether or not you do this," he says, daring the President to defy him. Gardner demands to talk to him, but Duluth says that the terrorist is blocking them. The man assures Gardner that his superiors will kill everyone at the APEC summit tomorrow, including him, unless he accepts Benash into his circle with no questions asked. Gardner glares at the monitor as the man continues to point his gun at the Vietnamese leader.

5:46 P.M.  
Morris accuses Chloe of having more feelings toward Jack than toward him. Chloe denies this, but Morris says that she has been fixated on getting Jack back since he was abducted two years ago. A guard hears this conversation, and orders the two out of their hiding spot. They come out with their hands up. As the guard radios for reinforcements, Chloe kicks the man in the groin and steals his gun. While the guard cries out for help, Chloe and Morris rush downstairs.

5:48 P.M.  
Completely wired up to the machine, John screams as high levels of electricity are blasted through his body. Huang smiles in glee and asks John for the information. John doesn't even acknowledge Huang and he has Lin increase the voltage. Outside, the prisoners mull around, not acknowledging the screams from the torture. Jack, however, shudders as he listens to the screams from John. A fierce, determined looks returns to his battered face.

-Commercial Break-

5:53 P.M.  
Gardner confers with his staff over what to do now that the situation has gotten exponentially more complicated. Duluth is concerned about the terrorist's threat against the APEC summit, and believes that the masked man is credible. Audrey informs the President that the military will be there in ten minutes, ahead of the 6:15 deadline. But Gardner and Duluth know this does not matter, as the terrorist said there would be an attack on the summit if Benash were excluded. Springer stresses that this is one man's word, and that he shouldn't trust his threats. Still undecided, Gardner asks an analyst to look for connections Benash might have to Far Eastern terrorism.

5:55 P.M.  
Chloe and Morris hide in an unused corridor right near the stairwell to a side entrance. The guard watching the door walks away, but as they prepare to leave, another guard comes upon and tackles them. Chloe fights back and in the melee, she shoots the man with the gun. The guard falls to the floor, dead. Chloe is shocked and horrified that she killed a Chinese citizen, but Morris tells her that they have to get out of here.

5:56 P.M.  
Chloe and Morris run out of the courthouse as the guards come upon their slain colleague and cry vengeance. Morris hurriedly hails down a vehicle. As he tries his limited Mandarin, the guards come out and shoot at them. Chloe fires back as Morris throws the driver out. Morris jumps in and Chloe does as well. She takes the wheel and drives off.

5:57 P.M.  
Still getting nothing, Huang instructs Lin to keep going and tell him when they have something. It's time for the prisoners to return to their barracks.

5:58 P.M.  
Huang walks onto the prison ground and lets the workers that it's the end of the day and that they can stop their labor. Huang reminds Jack to serve him dinner in an hour, and Jack promises that he will. As Huang struts off, Jack looks up to Huang's office, formulating a plan.

5:59 P.M.  
President Gardner is informed that Benash has numerous connections with the Far East since he specializes in Asian affairs. It would take hours to sift through them all, but Gardner knows that any links to terrorism wouldn't necessarily prove or disprove Benash's involvement in the plot. Duluth lets Gardner know that a paramilitary group in Vietnam connected to Asian terrorist organizations has claimed responsibility for the President's kidnapping and correctly advertised his current location. Convinced that this terrorist must be speaking the truth, Gardner decides to yield to his demand. Springer strongly objects, but Gardner instructs Nadia to summon Benash. 


	2. 6:00 PM  7:00 PM

6:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M.

6:00 P.M.  
Nadia approaches Benash in his seat and informs him that the President would like to see him. Benash follows Nadia to the situation room.

6:01 P.M.  
Springer tells Gardner that it is a terrible mistake to let Benash into the loop, considering how they do not know just how dangerous he is. Gardner is empathic about the fact that they need to prevent a mass assassination of the APEC leaders. Springer does not believe that this one terrorist is credible, and implores the President to reconsider.

6:02 P.M.  
Benash enters with Nadia and is surprised to see the President's staff assembled and looking at him. He is confused as to why he was summoned. Gardner dismisses Nadia and the rest of the staff, except Springer, Duluth, and Audrey. He then lays it out for Benash, explaining the abduction of the Vietnamese President and the demand that he be brought into the loop. Benash claims he knows nothing about this, and denies being involved with terrorists. He says that he is confounded as to why a reporter would be used as a bargaining chip. "But I guess if that is the demand," Benash says, "then you have to tell me everything." No one is happy about this arrangement, but they are forced to go along with it for the time being in order to protect the lives of the APEC leaders. Springer condemns this decision, but the President overrules him.

6:05 P.M.  
As the prisoners wrap up their work, Jack closely watches Huang in his office from the grounds. More painful screams from John come from the interrogation room, making Jack close his eyes in his own pain. Tiao asks Jack to come back with him to the barracks and stop worrying about the prisoner. There's nothing anyone can do to save him. "I can," Jack whispers as he looks up at Huang in his office.

6:06 P.M.  
Audrey gets word that the Vietnamese military has set up a perimeter around the building where their president is being held hostage. Gardner brings the rest of his staff in to watch the raid. On the live feed, the terrorist breaks twenty minutes of silence and thanks President Gardner for following his wishes.

6:07 P.M.  
Everyone in the room looks around suspiciously as they realize that the terrorist has a means of accessing information from Air Force One itself. The masked man takes off his mask and warns Gardner that he and the rest of the APEC leaders will die if they exclude Benash. Springer's face goes pale as he realizes that the threat is real.

6:08 P.M.  
The now unmasked terrorist sits back down and waits for the military to come. Gardner looks down as it is confirmed that his life is in danger. As the military blasts through the doors and exchange in a gunfight with the terrorist, Benash boldly takes out his pad and starts scribbling down notes, much to the ire of everyone in the room.

6:09 P.M.  
The Vietnamese military easily takes down the terrorist and rescues their president. After the President of Vietnam thanks Gardner for saving him, Springer and Duluth lambaste Benash for taking notes during this sensitive operation. Benash tells the staff that they couldn't expect him to pass up an opportunity like this, and reminds the President that the demand was for him to have full access. Gardner has no choice but to let him continue.

6:10 P.M.  
Despite his constant screaming from the torture device, John does not respond to any of Lin's questions. Huang calls to let Lin know he is coming down there to work personally on John.

6:11 P.M.  
As the staff disperses, Springer expresses his concern to Duluth that Benash was taking notes of the rescue, either taking advantage of the situation or evidence that he orchestrated this predicament himself. He does not like the fact that Benash will be reporting all of their dealings. Duluth affirms that he is pissed too, but that there's nothing they can do.

6:12 P.M.  
Benash brazenly asks Gardner how his wife is doing, and the President, upset over being backed into a corner, refuses to talk about his family.

6:13 P.M.  
Jack sees Huang disappear into the interrogation chamber and, after waiting a few moments, walks toward the command barracks. He greets the guards while walking through, acting as if he belongs there. Jack quietly goes up the stairs and sneaks into Huang's open office.

-Commercial Break-

6:18 P.M.  
Having left the city limits of Beijing, Chloe is confident that they have lost their guards. She pulls over to a ledge and calls the embassy to bring them up to speed. Chloe inquiries about a downed pilot over northern China, but they know nothing about it.

6:19 P.M.  
Huang sticks a long, sharp pole into John's thigh as he demands answers. Despite being in immense pain, John says nothing. Huang then asks John if he knows anyone named Chloe O'Brian because she called the prison and seemed to have knowledge of his status. John is silent, and Huang demands to know where she might be now because she escaped from the courthouse and its security detail lost her. John stays quiet, and Huang jabs a taser into his back.

6:21 P.M.  
Jack goes through Huang's files and papers, and finds a printout of John Hansen's official U.S. government dossier. It lists him as a former Air Force pilot and a current pilot for Delta Force. Alarmed, Jack looks around vigilantly as he realizes that something very serious is going on.

6:22 P.M.  
With Benash in the room, Gardner brings Chinese President Bao up to speed on the situation in Vietnam and on the threat to the APEC summit. The Chinese President is adamant that they cannot let this terrorist dictate their actions. The summit will proceed as scheduled. After Gardner hangs up, Springer notes that he did not let his counterpart know of the specific demand and that he is complying with it. Gardner says that Bao does not need to know about that now.

6:23 P.M.  
Jack empties Huang's file cabinets trying to find more information on the pilot. Huang walks in unexpectedly and remarks that Jack is early to serve him dinner, but sees all the papers out and suspiciously asks Jack what he is doing. Jack asks Huang who John Hansen is, but Huang says that that is none of his concern and orders him to leave. Jack just stands there, and Huang goes for his weapon. But Jack is quicker and knocks it away from him. They get into a fist fight in the enclosed space, and Jack subdues Huang, sending him to the floor. Grabbing the warden's gun, Jack aims it at Huang and demands to know why he shot down a U.S. Blackhawk helicopter. Huang says nothing.

-Commercial Break-

6:29 P.M.  
Jack finishes tying up Huang in one of his chairs and points the gun directly at his forehead. Huang is unfazed. Jack explains that shooting down an American military chopper and holding an officer captive could be cause for war between China and the United States. Jack wants to know the significance of that helicopter, and if Huang was following orders or acting on his own authority. Huang just sneers at Jack.

6:30 P.M.  
Unsatisfied, Jack picks up a plastic bag and opens it up menacingly. Huang chuckles, saying that he is much tougher than Jack and that he'll get nothing out of him. He reminds Jack that he is severely outnumbered and that he won't get away with this. His best option is to let him go and maybe the punishment will be more lenient. Jack does not acknowledge Huang's offer and instead holds the bag over his head. "This is your last chance," Jack whispers into his ear. Huang is silent, and Jack pulls the bag over Huang's head, suffocating him.

6:31 P.M.  
Chloe finishes her call with the embassy, frowning. She explains to Morris that there is nothing that the State Department can do to help their cause. They can't go to the embassy in Beijing since the Chinese will have all eyes looking for them. They will have to find a way out of the country on their own. After checking to make sure the coast is clear, Chloe pulls back onto the road and resumes their drive.

6:32 P.M.  
The Vietnamese President once again thanks Gardner for saving his life, even though it meant going against the American policy of never yielding to terrorist demands. He asks Gardner if they have found out how his captor knew of his acquiescence, but the President has no idea. Gardner politely asks his Vietnamese counterpart if he could keep the terrorist's specific demand about Benash a secret until after the summit, but the Vietnamese President is confused, assuming that Gardner dumped the reporter as soon as the crisis was resolved. Gardner winces as he lies and says that he did, but that they cannot have that information come out since Benash is currently under investigation. Gardner and Springer hold their tongue as Benash eagerly gives the President a thumb's up. Gardner is pleasantly surprised when the Vietnamese President informs him that he will still be attending the APEC summit tomorrow, despite the threat.

6:34 P.M.  
As they drive, Chloe apologizes to Morris for being so reckless. She just couldn't let this opportunity pass her by. Still upset, Morris charges that Chloe put her feelings for Jack ahead of her feelings for Morris and her own safety. Chloe disagrees, claiming that she had the situation under control until that prison warden acted so strange. Morris angrily replies that they never should have been there in the first place. Chloe cringes.

6:35 P.M.  
Lin holds the taser up to John's face and asks him again to explain why he was on Chinese soil. John just stoically stares at the wall. Lin tells John that everyone breaks eventually, but John continues his silence. Lin jabs the taser into John's neck, causing him to shake uncontrollably.

6:36 P.M.  
Jack removes the plastic bag from Huang's head. Sweaty and clammy, Huang gasps in relief, but does not say a word. Jack tells Huang that it'll only get worse if he doesn't start talking. Jack demands once again to know why he shot down a U.S. military helicopter. "Tell me what the hell is going on," Jack asks forcefully. Huang spits in Jack's face. Undaunted, Jack grabs a pen off of Huang's desk and, placing the bag back over his head, stabs the pen into Huang's thigh. Huang screams in utter pain.

-Commercial Break-

6:41 P.M.  
Gardner finishes updating all the APEC leaders on the threat to the summit. There is awkward silence as both Springer and the President look across the empty table at Benash, who is absorbed in his notes. Duluth enters with news that they have identified the terrorist that was holding the Vietnamese President hostage. Not only was he a known member of the paramilitary group that took responsibility, but he was also wanted for planning many bombings in Indonesia and the Far East. This only adds to the evidence that this threat is real. Benash nods while hearing this information and Springer angrily confronts him over this, accusing him of being in league with that terrorist. Gardner calms him down. Benash explains that all he was doing was agreeing with Duluth on the seriousness and credibility of the threat, and that he has no idea what's going on. Springer concedes, but continues to eye Benash suspiciously. Gardner thanks Duluth for the update and dismisses him.

6:43 P.M.  
Duluth does not leave, and Gardner asks what is wrong. Glancing over at Benash, Duluth explains to the President that there is something else they need to talk about. Gardner is confused, and Duluth asks Benash if they could have the room to themselves. Benash refuses, explaining that the terrorist's demand was explicit. Duluth is incredulous, telling Benash that he has to brief the President on a sensitive matter of national security. Benash does not budge, reminding Duluth that he has to have full access or the APEC leaders will all be assassinated. Duluth can't believe it, but Gardner reluctantly instructs him to proceed with Benash in the room. Springer shakes his head in frustration. Duluth is uneasy as he briefs the President on the covert mission in China and the Blackhawk helicopter crash. As Duluth speaks, Springer glares at Benash across the table.

6:45 P.M.  
Lin removes the taser from John's neck after another session, but John continues to shake violently. Lin is alarmed.

6:46 P.M.  
Jack continues to suffocate Huang with the plastic bag. "How does it feel now?" Jack asks, his voice shaking. Jack then aims the gun at the other thigh and threatens to shoot if Huang doesn't give him the truth. However, they are interrupted when the office phone rings. Jack urgently removes the plastic bag from Huang's head and orders him to answer it and put it on speakerphone. Cocking his gun, Jack tells Huang that one wrong word and he's dead. Huang wearily takes the call. It's Lin, who reports that John cannot take any more of the torture. Jack is alarmed. Huang orders him to keep trying. Lin hangs up, and Jack knocks Huang out with a punch to the face. Desperate to save John, Jack takes the gun and slips out of the office.

-Commercial Break-

6:52 P.M.  
Morris apologizes to Chloe for being so short with her. He shouldn't judge her for her determination to save Jack. Chloe accepts his apology, and apologizes again for their quandary. Morris says that it's okay, and that he's confident everything will work out. Just then, a police cruiser suddenly pulls up behind them, sirens blaring. Chloe hits the accelerator.

6:53 P.M.  
Jack stealthily exits the command barracks through a window and looks toward the interrogation chamber, where he can no longer hear John's screams. Jack begins to cautiously walk across the camp.

6:54 P.M.  
Huang wakes with a jolt and looks around frantically for a way out of his predicament. With a fierce, determined look on his face, Huang carefully slides his chair to his windowsill and begins to rub the rope binding his hands against the frame.

6:55 P.M.  
A car chase ensues through the rolling hills of northern China. More police cruisers join the pursuit and gain on Chloe and Morris, but Chloe punches it and goes even faster. Morris looks on in fear. As they come around a corner, they see that the police have formed a blockade. They are cornered. Chloe tells Morris to hang on as she quickly turns off the road and slams the car into the side of a cliff.

6:56 P.M.  
Chloe and Morris are dazed after the collision, but aware enough to try to make a run for it. They hurriedly exit the vehicle as the police approach and dart for the woods. However, Morris stumbles en route, and the police officers catch up to him and slam him to the ground. From the path that leads to the forest, Chloe looks back down as her boyfriend is placed under arrest. She then looks up the path to the forest, and to Jack. She has a quick decision to make, whether to go to Morris or go to Jack. Chloe runs into the forest.

6:57 P.M.  
Jack slips the gun into the back of his pants as he passes a guard. He smiles nonchalantly. Meanwhile, Huang successfully manages to saw off his bindings and hops over to his desk. He picks up the phone and alerts the rest of the prison to the security breach.

6:58 P.M.  
Jack is just about to reach the entrance to the interrogation barracks when the alarm sounds. Guards emerge from the barracks and draw their weapons. Jack has no choice but to try to escape. He goes for the fence, exchanging gunfire with the guards. He manages to take some down, but he runs out of bullets and is surrounded. As Jack tries to fight his way through the guards, he is beaten down and captured. Huang emerges from the command barracks, flustered but back in control. Huang yells to Jack that he was foolish to think he could try to save John and escape. And now Jack will pay for what he has done. Silhouetted against the sunset, Huang shoots Jack with the taser, who falls to the ground. 


	3. 7:00 PM  8:00 PM

7:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M.

7:00 P.M.  
The guards drag the unconscious Jack through the dark corridors of the interrogation barracks. Huang follows them, sneering. Jack is thrown into a dank cell.

7:02 P.M.  
In the twilight, Chloe runs through the forest. She hears the voices of Chinese policemen behind her. Chloe trips over a log, but gets right back up and keeps going.

7:04 P.M.  
Huang returns to the room where John is being tortured. He continues to seize wildly. Lin reports that John is near the point of death. Huang reluctantly orders Lin to stop the interrogation. John is cut down from the torture device. He falls to the floor with a thud, too weak to move. In a barely conscious daze, John overhears Huang tell Lin about Jack's actions and him being brought in for interrogation.

7:06 P.M.  
Jack wakes up in his cell, woozy. He wearily stands up, wiping away the human waste from the cell that had gotten on his clothes. Jack then slides over to the cell door and tries to make out Huang and Lin's indistinct voices in the distance, but he can't. Jack gives up, and shifts away. After a moment to himself, Jack silently bangs his head against the wall in frustration.

7:08 P.M.  
Chloe pauses running through the forest and checks to see if the Chinese are still trying to find her. She hears and sees nobody, but just when she thinks it's safe, she hears a branch snap. Chloe scurries up a nearby tree to hide, but it's just a harmless deer. She climbs back down, and rests against the back of the tree to catch her breath. Chloe then resumes her flight.

-Commercial Break-

7:14 P.M.  
In his private office, the President goes over a draft of his remarks for the summit with Springer. Nadia comes rushing in, very hurried. Gardner asks her what's wrong, and she flips on the television in the room. On screen is a news report about a crashed U.S. military chopper in northern China. Nadia explains that it's on all the American morning news shows. Gardner and Springer are horrified.

7:15 P.M.  
Gardner bursts out of his office in a fit of anger. He instructs Springer to summon Duluth immediately, and marches over to Benash, who is seated on a bench by the windows. The President irately confronts him, accusing Benash of leaking the story about the covert mission in China. Benash admits to it, claiming that the world has a right to know. Gardner disagrees, saying that all Benash is doing is trying to advance his career. Benash wryly smiles, explaining that he'd be crazy not to take advantage of this opportunity. Duluth shows up with Springer, sickened at what has transpired. He can't believe that Benash is seriously exploiting this very difficult situation for his own selfish purposes. Benash counters that Duluth and the President are being selfish for wanting to keep their operation in China a secret. Duluth shakes his head furiously, telling Benash that they have the law on their side and that Benash will be prosecuted for leaking classified information and endangering national security. Benash tells Duluth to bring it on, explaining that there are plenty of people in the country, especially in the media, who will defend journalistic freedom and integrity over presidential power. Duluth doesn't care, and advises the President to place Benash under arrest immediately. But Benash reminds Gardner of the threat to the summit and the consequences of taking him out of the loop, and Gardner agrees to wait until after the summit before taking legal action. Benash accepts this compromise, and walks off.

7:18 P.M.  
As Gardner wearily returns to his office, Duluth implores him to reconsider. Springer adds that it would look much better if he had Benash arrested as soon as the transgression came to his attention. The President appreciates their input, but explains that he is going to do everything he can to stop a mass assassination of the APEC leaders, including himself. Gardner enters his office, and instructs Nadia to give no comment to reporters and to get him the heads of all the networks on the phone as soon as possible.

7:19 P.M.  
Chloe jogs through the forest, now confident that the Chinese have ceased pursuing her. She stops when sees the lights of a town in the distance, but before continuing, she looks back, having second thoughts about leaving Morris to the Chinese justice system. But she cannot turn back now, and Chloe runs to the lights.

7:20 P.M.  
The guards come into Jack's cell and order him to follow them. Jack resists, and one of the guards bashes the end of his rifle into the side of Jack's head, knocking him to the floor. Dazed, Jack is dragged to an interrogation room, where Huang is waiting for him. The guards shove Jack into a small chair in front of Huang, who looms ominously over Jack. Huang informs Jack that he will be spared punishment if he discloses American state secrets. If he does not, the torture will not compare to what has come before. Jack responds that what he did was just a momentary lapse of judgment and that it won't happen again. Jack pleads with Huang to release him as he's been a good prisoner. "Prove it," Huang replies, looking down at his crotch. Jack is confused, and Huang points to his groin. "You know what I mean," he says. Jack is revolted, but slowly goes to his knees, seriously considering it. Jack kneels before Huang's groin for several moments, but he can't bring himself to it. He stoically sits back in his chair. "Just as I thought," Huang says coldly. He takes out his knife and stabs it into Jack's thigh. Jack screams.

-Commercial Break-

7:28 P.M.  
Chloe emerges from the woods and into a suburban town just outside of Beijing. She discreetly walks down the streets, avoiding eye contact with the pedestrians. After subtly scanning her surroundings, Chloe finds an Internet cafe and walks in. She finds a laptop computer and starts typing away.

7:30 P.M.  
Huang glares into Jack's eyes as he twists the knife deeper into his thigh. He reiterates that the only way to stop the pain is to divulge what he knows, but Jack does not say a word. Displeased, Huang calls back in his guards and has them bring in the same elaborate torture device that was used on John. Huang smiles as Jack is hooked up to the wires. Removing the knife from his thigh, Huang informs Jack that he has not known pain until now. Jack does not respond. Huang gives the word, and Jack screams in agony as the electricity pummels his body.

7:32 P.M.  
As Lin checks his fragile condition, John cringes as he hears Jack's terrible screams.

7:33 P.M.  
Gardner explains to one of the heads of the networks that the story on the crashed chopper in China is classified and asks him to put a lid on it immediately. He promises that all the details on this matter will be disclosed in the coming weeks, but right now, his network is seriously endangering national security by broadcasting it. The network head resists, and Gardner invokes executive privilege. The network head backs down and agrees to retract the story.

7:34 P.M.  
Springer comes in to happily report that the other networks have officially withdrawn their reports on the chopper crash. Gardner is relieved, but Springer is still concerned with the national security threat that Benash's access poses. The President reiterates that they have no choice, and that he has a few more calls to make. Twisting his lip, Springer lets him get back to it, but they are interrupted when Gardner gets an urgent call from the Chinese President. Gardner and Springer share a knowing look, and the President wearily takes the call. President Bao has gotten wind of the news story on the chopper, and explains to Gardner that he is deeply troubled and confused about the report, since nobody in his government seems to know anything about it. He irately demands the truth from Gardner. The President tells Bao that it is a false report and that they have taken swift action to ensure that such fabrications will not continue to be propagated. But Bao counters with the fact that the story was on all the major American networks and that they reported that it came from a "deeply confidential source." Gardner explains that there are plenty of people in his administration that want to take a harder line with China and would do anything to derail their relationship, including misleading the press. The President assures Bao that they are currently searching for the source of this bogus story as they speak, and that he'll know the instant they find that person. Bao accepts this explanation, but pledges to have his people do their own investigation, and that if they find anything, the consequences will be dire.

-Commercial Break-

7:41 P.M.  
Duluth assures Gardner that they are covered if the Chinese try to find evidence of a chopper crash. The President is confused and asks how, but Duluth says that the less Gardner knows the better. Gardner does not have time for this, and crossly demands the truth. Duluth quietly explains that they hacked into the Chinese satellite logs, and erased any record of the chopper from when it entered Chinese airspace to when it crashed. Gardner is concerned that the Chinese will find out about this breach, but Duluth assures him that all their tracks are covered.

7:42 P.M.  
Chloe glances nervously at the other patrons in the cafe as she works on her computer. On screen is satellite coverage of northern China. She scans the images, trying to find the prison where Jack is being held. One of the patrons looks at Chloe suspiciously.

7:43 P.M.  
Still not getting anywhere, Huang has Jack cut down from the torture device. Jack falls to the ground hard. Sounds of burning flesh fill the room. Huang leans down and whispers that he has many other ways to inflict pain. The guards drag Jack back to the chair. Huang pierces the bundle of nerves on Jack's shoulder with his knife. Jack takes the immense pain calmly. Huang then splashes the wound with an acid that makes Jack scream in anguish.

7:45 P.M.  
While Gardner converses with Duluth and Springer, Benash enters in a fit of rage. He explains that he just got word from his contacts in Beijing that Gardner recently had a call with President Bao that he was not aware of. Benash also knows that all the networks have retracted their story on the chopper. Incredulous, Benash reminds them that the deal was for him to have total access. There can be no more shutting him out of important presidential decisions and phone calls. He is to be treated as a key member of the President's senior staff. Leaving them no time to process, Benash leaves in a huff, slamming the door behind him.

7:46 P.M.  
"That son of a bitch," Duluth says of Benash. He is just as incredulous that that weasel would put his foot down like that and make such ridiculous demands of the President. Gardner says resignedly that they did shut him out, but Springer interjects that if Benash really wanted to be in the loop, he should have been in the room. Duluth answers that Benash is probably testing them, and that they really should consider the very real possibility that Benash is orchestrating this terrorist threat. Gardner says that there is no way to know for sure, and it wouldn't change anything even if it was true. Duluth brusquely replies that Gardner can decide for himself when the FBI and CIA finish going through Benash's contacts and dealings in a few hours. Gardner does not like Duluth's tone and dismisses him.

7:47 P.M.  
Gardner wearily asks Springer for advice, and Springer ventures that the terrorist that made the threat definitely had a means of accessing Air Force One. Either that was Benash or some sort of bug that the Secret Service missed in their sweep. But Springer agrees with the President; it doesn't really matter either way. The summit is still threatened. As for Benash's unprecedented access, Springer states that there are way too many downsides to the one upside of possibly preventing a terrorist attack on the summit. But Gardner is willing to take that risk.

7:48 P.M.  
The U.S. ambassador to China calls to report that Morris O'Brian, an employee for the State Department, was arrested for the death of a Chinese citizen in a Beijing courthouse. Gardner rubs his forehead in distress at the additional complication. He asks the ambassador to keep him informed, and hangs up. After a moment of thought, Gardner grudgingly asks Springer to summon Benash. Springer resists, not wanting to give in, but Gardner insists that they have no choice, explaining that Benash will find out eventually and that it'd be better to have him hear it from them. Springer hates it, but he goes to get Benash.

-Commercial Break-

7:53 P.M.  
Chloe finds a prison in northern China that matches up with the contact info she had gotten from the courthouse. Smiling, she then goes to pinpoint her current location and plan her trip. Across the room, one of the patrons has a picture of Chloe from a police alert loaded on her screen. She gestures to another patron and points to the picture and to Chloe.

7:54 P.M.  
As Jack continues to scream from the horrible torture, Lin checks on John, who is lying on the floor, motionless. John seems to not acknowledge Lin, instead staring into space with a distracted look in his eyes. Lin is alarmed. Flipping John over to his back, Lin puts his ear to John's chest and is even more alarmed by what he hears.

7:55 P.M.  
Huang stabs Jack in the back with his long, sharp pole, causing Jack to keel over. Lin comes rushing in to report that John has gone into shock. This development greatly concerns Huang, and he orders Lin to take John to the medical ward immediately. Lin instead wants to kill John, feeling that they are getting nowhere with him, but Huang irritably insists that Lin follow his orders. Lin acquiesces and goes to tend to John. Jack knows something is up.

7:56 P.M.  
Huang takes out a blow torch and applies it to Jack's wound on his back. Jack screams louder than he has before. After several moments of this, Jack slumps over, seemingly unconscious. Huang slaps Jack hard in order to wake him up, but Jack remains out cold. Frustrated, Huang orders a guard to stay with Jack and restrain him. Huang then leaves to check on John.

7:57 P.M.  
Chloe figures out how to get to the prison. Meanwhile, the suspicious patron has gathered nearly a dozen others around her computer and looking at the APB for Chloe. The patron stands up. Chloe is perplexed when she finds evidence of a "loop" in the archived satellite footage around the prison from a few hours ago. "Something's going on," she whispers to herself. Suddenly, Chloe is surrounded by patrons, who inform her in English that she is under arrest. This is a citizens' arrest. Chloe is ordered to sit still. Instead, Chloe unplugs the laptop and elbows the suspicious patron in the nose. As she crumbles to the floor, Chloe fights her way through the crowd and out into the streets, laptop in hand.

7:59 P.M.  
The one man guarding Jack restrains him in his chair. With the guard leaning down beside him, Jack lunges his head and bites the man hard in the neck. Jack spits out the flesh and the man dies. Jack manages to take the guard's key and free his hands. Taking the guard's gun, Jack then slips out of the cell. 


	4. 8:00 PM  9:00 PM

8:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M.

8:00 P.M.  
Jack sneaks through the dark corridors of the interrogation barracks, managing to avoid the guards.

8:02 P.M.  
Lin and several other guards hurry into the medical barracks carrying John. Huang follows them. John is taken to a ward and placed in a bed. Huang paces around nervously as the doctor and nurse tend to John. As the doctor checks John's pulse, Huang asks if he is going to be all right. The doctor says that it's too early to know for sure and that he'll need to run some tests. Huang impatiently lets him.

8:04 P.M.  
Jack quietly approaches the entrance to the barracks. Hiding in the long shadows, Jack kicks a pebble down the hall, and when the man guarding the door goes to check it out, Jack silently slips past him and out into the camp. He immediately makes for the cover of the shadows of the command barracks, and gets there safely.

8:06 P.M.  
Chloe goes back into the woods and, after checking to make sure none of the patrons or the police are following her, turns her stolen laptop back on and attempts to set up a satellite uplink.

8:07 P.M.  
Springer is working in his office with the television on when a news flash comes on reporting that Morris O'Brian, a State Department employee, was arrested an hour ago for the death of a Chinese citizen. Shaking his head, Springer flips through the channels and finds the story on all of them, including the international ones. Frowning, Springer blasts out of his office and strides down the corridor to the President's office. He passes Benash on the way, who apologizes for his earlier outburst, claiming that he's just as scared about the assassination threat as he is and wants to make sure the demand is met fully. When Springer just keeps on walking without even glancing in his direction, Benash realizes Springer is pissed about the O'Brian leak and explains that he was just trying to get the jump on what's going to be a sensational story. Springer coldly says that he knows Benash has decided to put career above country. He then brusquely enters Gardner's office, slamming the door behind him.

8:09 P.M.  
Springer informs Gardner that, as expected, the story about O'Brian's arrest has already reached the American and international press. Gardner replies that such a story wasn't going to stay under wraps for long, but Springer says that that is not the point. Benash continues to disrespect Gardner and the presidency with his actions. Springer complains that they are going to be completely paralyzed if they let this continue. Gardner thinks they can manage, but Springer irately tells the President to stop bowing down to this threat. "You're not the one being targeted!" Gardner screams, slamming his hand on the desk. Springer takes a step back and apologizes. Head down, Springer exits the room.

-Commercial Break-

8:14 P.M.  
Avoiding the searchlights, Jack deftly creeps around the buildings of the prison camp.

8:15 P.M.  
The doctor reports to Huang that John is in shock and will need to rest for a few hours before they can resume the interrogation. Huang twists his lip in irritation, but accepts the doctor's orders. Huang takes Lin back to his office to draft their report on John. From the cover of darkness, Jack watches as Huang and Lin leave the medical barracks and walk across the camp. When the coast is clear, Jack slowly moves over to the barracks.

8:17 P.M.  
Chloe smiles after she ingeniously sets up a satellite uplink with just a laptop, her cell phone, and a few other small technical devices from her purse. She reestablishes an Internet connection, and is shocked to find a story online about Morris's arrest. Deflated, Chloe looks back at the lights of the town, considering turning herself in to reprieve Morris of a murder he did not commit. But she snaps herself out of it. She does not want to lose her only chance to save Jack. Chloe gets back to work.

8:18 P.M.  
Jack silently sneaks to the back of the medical barracks. After trying in vain to open a few windows, he finally finds an open one, but has to duck for cover when the searchlight comes around. When in the clear, Jack carefully opens the window just wide enough to climb through. Jack lands on his wounded shoulder. He grunts in pain. Jack quickly gets to a crouch and sweeps the empty room with his gun. Jack then slithers to the light of the adjoining ward, where the beds are full of patients. Jack scans the beds for John, but can't find him. Jack has to hide in the bathroom when a nurse enters to make her rounds. He keeps his ear to the door and his hand on his gun as she slowly walks around the ward. When he hears her leave, Jack slides out and resumes his search.

8:23 P.M.  
Jack goes into another ward, which has just one bed in it. Jack sees that John is lying in it and rushes over to him, and for the first time, Jack comes face to face with John. He immediately sees for himself all the bruises and wounds Huang and his men have inflicted. Jack whispers to John that he is an American and is here to help. John stops rolling his eyes and looks directly at Jack. He starts whispering something, but Jack can't hear him. He leans down and John softly whispers in Jack's ear that he has not given them any information and that he faked his seizure and shock. But he's not sure how long he can hold on. Jack whispers back to John that he's getting him out of here now. John's eyes go wide, and he quietly slides off the bed. Jack asks if he can walk. John nods. After John steadies himself, Jack wraps his arm around John's shoulder and the two men slink out of the room.

8:25 P.M.  
As Jack and John try to sneak back out of the barracks, they encounter a nurse, who immediately picks up the phone. Jack pulls his gun, and threatens to kill her if she tries to alert anyone. She slowly returns the phone to its holder. Jack then cold-cocks her with the gun, knocking her out. Jack hurriedly takes John to the window.

-Commercial Break-

8:30 P.M.  
Jack and John stealthily move between the buildings, trying to figure out a way to escape. John whispers to Jack that he is truly honored to be receiving the help of the great Jack Bauer.

8:31 P.M.  
Huang and Lin enter the interrogation barracks and stride down the corridor to the interrogation room. They enter to check on Jack's condition, and find the guard dead. Sneering, Huang curses and orders Lin to initiate a total lockdown. Lin rushes out, ordering the lockdown over the radio. Huang looks down at the dead guard on the floor, in disbelief over what has happened.

8:32 P.M.  
Jack and John are about to make for the fence when the alarms sound, and all of the prison guards sprint onto the camp grounds, shining their flashlights furiously. Jack and John hide in some bushes between the barracks.

8:33 P.M.  
Springer is called into the President's office to help Gardner out on Chinese currency policy. But Gardner first wants to apologize to Springer for screaming at him earlier. He hates what he's being forced to do just as much as Springer does, but he really can't do anything about it. Springer accepts this apology, understanding that it is not his life that is being threatened. Nor is it his official duty to protect the stability of the entire Asia-Pacific region. Gardner nods his head solemnly, but the peace is broken when a call comes in from President Bao. Gardner sighs, telling Springer that they knew this was coming. He asks Springer to bring in Benash. Springer opens his mouth to resist, but thinks better of it and reluctantly goes to get Benash.

8:34 P.M.  
Benash enters with Springer, and gracelessly thanks the President for keeping him in the loop. Gardner says nothing, and takes the call from Bao. The Chinese President is incredulous that a U.S. State Department employee, an American, has killed a Chinese citizen, and in one of their courthouses as well. Gardner apologizes, but reminds Bao that neither of them knows all the facts and that they should let the investigation come to a conclusion before either of their countries make a decision. Bao strongly counters that, as they did with Jack Bauer, the U.S. should let his country get justice for a crime committed on their soil, against one of their people. As the two presidents argue, Springer watches in restrained disgust as Benash sits down on the couch, takes out his pad, and eagerly takes notes. Gardner does not agree with Bao's sentiment, and the Chinese President icily states that there have been a lot of killings of Chinese citizens lately and implies that the U.S. government is directly responsible, indirectly referring to the incident at the Chinese Consulate over three years ago. Gardner adamantly denies this insinuation. Benash smiles at the juicy quotes he is getting. Bao tells Gardner that he should proceed carefully. Bao is still expecting his people to find evidence that the U.S. did indeed violate Chinese airspace, and that Gardner will be hearing from him again.

-Commercial Break-

8:40 P.M.  
Chloe trudges the woods en route to the prison.

8:41 P.M.  
As the prison guards scour the camp for the missing prisoners, Jack tells John that they can't wait around to be caught. They have to find a way out. After a guard passes by, Jack and John dart from the bushes and begin to crawl on the ground under the barracks. John winces in pain as he applies pressure to his broken arm, but assures Jack that he'll be fine. They emerge on the other side, but Tiao spots them. He quietly calls out to Jack, and asks him what the hell he is thinking. He's just going to get himself killed. Jack explains the situation, and John emphasizes just how important it is that he alerts the U.S. government, but Tiao still feels that Jack will be not be able to make it out of the camp alive and that he should surrender. Jack appeals to their friendship, begging Tiao to let them go. Tiao doesn't want to see his friend get killed, but agrees to not turn them in. Jack thanks Tiao, and he and John crawl under another barracks.

8:43 P.M.  
Springer and Audrey discreetly meet in a small corridor next to the galley. Audrey is confused about why he wanted to meet her like this, and Springer answers that he needs to find a way to neutralize the serious national security threat that Benash poses. Audrey expresses that she is equally upset that Benash leaked classified intelligence and nearly brought the U.S. and China to a diplomatic standoff, but asks Springer what he wants her to do. The President has made his decision, and that's that. Springer quietly tells her that they can find other ways to neutralize Benash. Audrey is perplexed, but Springer says that all they need to do is to be creative.

8:44 P.M.  
Jack and John crawl under the barracks closest to the fence, but they see that the area between their position and freedom is crawling with guards. John feels that they are trapped, but Jack tells John that they will get out of here.

8:45 P.M.  
As the doctor checks on the nurse that Jack knocked out, Huang glares at John's empty bed. Burning with rage, Huang picks up the radio and informs all his men that orders are shoot to kill.

-Commercial Break-

8:50 P.M.  
Still ensconced in their position under the barracks, John nervously tells Jack that they are sitting ducks. They're going to find them hiding under here soon enough. But Jack explains that he's tracking the guards' movement and trying to figure out their best chance to get to the fence. They can't rush this. John accepts this, and nods his head in agreement.

8:51 P.M.  
Chloe continues to hike through the dark woods. After crossing a dirt road, Chloe takes a rest in the forest and takes out her laptop to check on her progress. Suddenly, the sound of a helicopter breaks the calm. Chloe looks around frantically to see where it's coming from, but suddenly she comes under fire by a police chopper. She dives to protect her laptop and tries to run away. Officers rappel down from the chopper and surround her. Police cruisers pull up on the dirt road. She's been ambushed. The police officers draw their weapons and order her to surrender. Taking a deep breath, Chloe thinks it over. She then pulls out the guard's gun from her purse and fires on the officers. Chloe takes cover in a cluster of trees as she exchanges gunfire with the police. She takes out several officers, including the two men from the lead cruiser. Seeing an opportunity, Chloe darts toward the cruiser, laptop in one hand, gun in the other, managing to avoid the officers' bullets. After using all of the bullets in her gun to take down many of the officers, Chloe throws herself in the cruiser and drives off.

8:55 P.M.  
Jack and John are crawling to another part of the fence when they see headlights in the distance approaching the camp. Two shiny black cars pull into the compound. Jack informs John that this is a surprise inspection. Across the prison, Huang can't believe that Cheng decided to come at this very moment. But he straightens himself up to prepare for Cheng's arrival. As the guards move off from their positions to tend to this unexpected arrival, Jack tells John that this is their opportunity. Jack slowly emerges from under the barracks, with John following. They make a run for it, but are easily spotted by the guards, who fire. Jack returns the gunfire as a shootout ensues. Huang hears the gunfire in the distance and sprints there, leaving a bewildered Cheng just as he exits his car. Meanwhile, while covering John, Jack kills a guard, and then goes over to the body and grabs the man's gun and ammo. He hands the gun to John. The two men cover each other as they dash over to the fence and begin climbing. John struggles to climb, but he fights through it. Jack and John swiftly scale the fence as they continue to exchange gunfire. Huang comes running toward them, shooting and screaming at them to stop. But Jack and John get to the top of the fence, and, despite cutting their hands on the barbed wire, jump down to the ground on the other side. They run into the woods. Huang shakes the fence violently as they get away.

8:59 P.M.  
Lin gathers the prison's dogs to go after them, but Huang is still upset. Cheng joins them, and is furious that Huang allowed Jack to escape. Huang resolutely promises to get them back. Huang scans the large group of prisoners that have assembled in response to all the commotion. He sees Tiao's guilty look and shoots the man in the head. 


	5. 9:00 PM  10:00 PM

9:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M.

9:00 P.M.  
Jack leads a weakened John through the forest as they desperately try to escape from Huang's grasp. John stumbles a bit, but keeps up with Jack.

9:02 P.M.  
Lin has the dogs sniff the area under the barracks where Jack and John had been hiding, and then sets them loose, keeping them on a long leash. He leads them to the prison's gate. Huang is waiting for him, and has his men open the gate for Lin and the dogs. He is about to join them when Cheng calls him over. Huang tells Lin to start the pursuit without him; he'll catch up. Huang halfheartedly goes over to Cheng, who officially reprimands Huang for the prison break. Huang accepts this and promises to make it up for him, but Cheng will hear none of it. Cheng crossly informs Huang that he will be passed over for a promotion he had been expecting. Huang is devastated.

9:05 P.M.  
Cheng goes to his vehicle, but stops to tell Huang that he better hope their superiors do not find out about the chopper crash, or otherwise both their asses will be fried. Huang agrees. Cheng gets in his car, and Huang jogs off into the woods to join Lin.

9:06 P.M.  
Audrey enters Springer's office, and quietly informs Springer that she may have found a way to stop Benash leaking everything they do to the press. Springer is intrigued. Audrey says that Benash either has his own phone or is using the plane's phones to contact the media. What they need is to find that out. Audrey suggests that they have the President draft a statement on the Morris O'Brian arrest with Benash in the room, and then when Benash goes to get the scoop on the story, they'll have someone spy on him and see exactly how he's been leaking their activities. Springer is okay with this, considering that they're going to have to address the O'Brian arrest eventually and that it'd be relatively harmless for the press to have a few minutes' jump on this matter. Audrey continues, explaining that they would then take away Benash's means of communication with the outside world, either by stealing the phone or by disabling the plane's phone system in the press section. Springer is uneasy, but Audrey assures him that she would rather have an angry and accusatory Benash than having him continue to undermine the presidency. And if he's using the plane phones or tries to use them after their theft, they can convincingly chalk up any failure to a mechanical glitch. She is confident that she can make this happen. Springer is persuaded, and calls Nadia to meet him in the President's office in a few minutes. Springer then thanks Audrey for helping him try to stop this bastard once and for all.

9:08 P.M.  
Chloe speeds through the woods on the dirt road. She spots a clearing just off the road, and pulls off to see if any police cruisers are following her. Clutching the empty gun, Chloe nervously waits in her seat. But no car appears. She's escaped. Exhaling in relief, Chloe turns her laptop back on and finds her location.

9:09 P.M.  
Hearing the dogs barking in the distance, Jack and John sprint through the forest. John collapses, and Jack rushes over to him. John woozily assures Jack that he's fine and can continue, but Jack says that he's not and that he's going to have to carry him. They have to keep moving. Jack lifts John off the ground and lays him on his back. Grimacing due to the load, Jack gets up and starts running.

-Commercial Break-

9:14 P.M.  
Walking to the President's office, Springer tells Audrey that Gardner is not going to like this plan, but Audrey interjects that the President can't know a thing. They have to make this look as convincing as possible, especially when Benash is cut off from the press back home. Gardner has to believably deny that he knows where Benash's phone is, or that the malfunction in the in-flight phone system was anything more than a random glitch. This is the only way to ensure that. Springer doesn't like lying to his boss, but reluctantly agrees to hide their plan from Gardner. Springer takes a deep breath, and enters Gardner's office alone. He tells the President that he thinks they should release a statement about Morris O'Brian's arrest as soon as possible. They have to get out in front of this story as quickly as they can. Nadia comes in, and Gardner shares Springer's concerns with her. She agrees, explaining that the press has been hounding her for an official comment on the arrest for well over an hour now, and that they already somehow know of an argumentative phone call between Gardner and Bao. Gardner twists his lip, but asks Nadia to help draft a statement. Nadia leaves to summon the communications director. Gardner quietly asks Springer to bring in Benash. Springer feigns begrudging agreement, but exits the office with a wry smile.

9:16 P.M.  
Jack struggles to run with John on his back, but he fights through it. However, the barks of the dogs get closer and closer. Jack turns his head around toward the dogs in fear. Fortunately, they come upon a large brook, and Jack jumps into the water to wash himself and John clean of any scent. After the two men are thoroughly washed, Jack picks up John once again and carries him up the brook.

9:18 P.M.  
Huang, Lin, and the dogs arrive at the brook at full speed, but the dogs come to a screeching halt, having lost Jack and John's scent. Huang looks at the water and curses. He tells Lin that they're going to need to find another way. They split up, with Huang going one direction up the brook and Lin going the other. Huang orders his guards over the radio to cover the area on the other side of the brook.

9:19 P.M.  
Chloe drives through the dirt roads of the woods, occasionally checking on her progress on the laptop.

Nadia, the communications director, and her deputy are confused when Benash joins them in the President's office. Nadia quietly asks Springer what's going on. Springer tells her that it's the President's call, and that his reasons are restricted to his most inner circle. Nadia softly relays Springer's answer to the rest of the perplexed staff.

9:20 P.M.  
No longer hearing the dogs in the distance, Jack feels safe enough to stop momentarily to check on the moss growing on the trees. John woozily asks why they have stopped, and Jack says that he was just confirming that they are heading in a northerly direction toward Mongolia. John nods his head. After making sure no one is behind him, Jack resumes carrying John up the brook.

9:21 P.M.  
Huang shines his flashlight up the brook, but doesn't see Jack or John.

-Commercial Break-

9:26 P.M.  
With the help of his staff and Benash, the President drafts a statement on the Morris O'Brian arrest. Gardner wants to make it clear that the U.S. government will wait until after the investigation is finished before it decides on how to proceed, and that they encourage the Chinese to do the same. Springer however feels that they should be more forceful, knowing that China is more concerned with incarceration than the truth and that any investigation will superficial and just a formality. Benash brashly butts in, advising Gardner to declare in his statement that the U.S. knows that O'Brian will be swiftly convicted in a show trial, tortured for his knowledge about the State Department computer system, then executed, and that the U.S. government will do whatever it takes to ensure that that does not happen to an American citizen. Springer bites his lip, upset that Benash is now giving counsel, but holds his tongue. Gardner bitterly replies that their relationship with the Chinese is already quite fragile, and that he is not going to further piss off President Bao. Gardner stares down Benash to remind him just how much that fragility is due to his own actions. Springer delicately tells the President that just a quick mention of how they will be closely watching China's investigation wouldn't hurt. Gardner is okay with this, and instructs his communications director to write that down.

9:28 P.M.  
Jack continues to splash through the brook carrying John. They are still clear of any guards. John weakly tells Jack that in case he doesn't survive this, Jack needs to know what his mission was about. "You need to know why I was in China," John says. But Jack wants John to save his energy and that they need to stay as quiet as possible. John agrees to hold off, silently nodding his head.

9:29 P.M.  
Chloe comes to a paved road and stops to make sure no one is waiting to ambush her. When nothing happens, Chloe sighs in relief and uses the opportunity to map out her route to the prison. She accesses the most recent satellite coverage of the prison, and is shocked to see the heat signatures of gunfire and two bodies trying to escape at the top of the hour. Deeply worried, Chloe hacks into the archived footage from the security cameras at the prison. She watches two men exchanging gunfire with the guards and successfully escaping from the prison. Chloe zooms in, and sees that one of them is Jack. She inhales sharply in astonishment, but then shakes her head, smiling knowingly. With purpose in her heart, Chloe pulls onto the paved road and speeds off.

9:31 P.M.  
Huang orders his humvees to remain on patrol on the dirt roads surrounding the prison. He continues to sprint through the woods, but stops when he hears splashing in the far distance. Huang smiles, knowing he is getting close. He radios Lin that Jack and John are moving north and orders Lin and the rest of the guards to converge on his location.

9:32 P.M.  
Jack sees the brook take a sharp turn to the east, and whispers to John that they're going to have keep moving on land, despite the risk. Gripping John, Jack carefully climbs out of the streambed and darts into the woods, continuing north.

9:33 P.M.  
Shining his flashlight up and down the brook, Huang continues his fevered pursuit. He spots the muddy footprint of Jack just above the creek. Huang takes out his radio to alert the others.

9:34 P.M.  
Gardner and the staff finish up drafting the statement. The communications director says that she will run it by the State Department, and then immediately release it to the press. Springer excuses himself before anyone else, especially Benash, has a chance to leave. He jogs down to Audrey's office, and alerts her that everything went as planned and that Benash should be making his call soon. When asked who will be spying on Benash, Audrey answers that she will, explaining that they need to keep this scheme as tight as possible. Springer agrees, and says that he will be waiting in his office. Audrey leaves the room and sets herself up at a discreet location just beyond the President's office. After a moment, she sees Benash leave the room, chatting up a communications staffer. Benash pries for dirt about the staffer's colleagues, wanting to know if there are any personal divisions in the department, but the staffer just walks off, very uncomfortable. Benash twists his lip in dissatisfaction, but laughs it off and walks down the hallway. Audrey surreptitiously follows.

-Commercial Break-

9:40 P.M.  
With the sirens blaring, Chloe speeds on the rolling, curving roads through the outskirts of northern China. On her laptop is a live satellite feed tracking a heat signature moving swiftly through the woods.

9:41 P.M.  
Jack struggles to keep running with John over his back, and has to stop to catch his breath. But knowing that the guards can't be far behind, Jack forces himself to move. Breathing heavily, Jack promises John that he will get him out of China alive. Grimacing, Jack picks up his speed and continues to run.

9:42 P.M.  
With Audrey staying far back, Benash finishes up a conversation with a Secret Service agent and goes into the press pool section of Air Force One. Audrey quickly catches up, and peeks through the curtain. She sees Benash remove his briefcase from underneath his seat, and head back towards the curtain with it. Audrey darts into an empty head to hide. After Benash has passed, she emerges from the head and follows him to an empty part of the plane. Benash glances around to see if anyone is watching him, and Audrey gracefully turns into an empty hallway. Having not seen her, Benash guardedly takes out a satellite phone from the briefcase and calls someone to report that the President will soon be releasing a statement tactfully addressing the Morris O'Brian arrest, but that it will say that the U.S. government will be closely watching the Chinese investigation. The contact thanks Benash for the scoop and hangs up. Benash then calls another number to report the same thing. Satisfied, Audrey quietly steps away, and hurries back to Springer's office. She breathlessly informs him that Benash is using a satellite phone. Springer is surprised that Benash is using a satellite phone to call the media back home, but comments that this will make their job easier. Audrey explains that Benash keeps the phone in a briefcase under his seat in a section full of reporters. "It won't be easy," she says. Springer knows that, but expresses to Audrey that he's relieved they won't have to disable the entire phone system for the press pool, at least for the time being. Audrey agrees. Springer says that they need to start planning on how they're going to pull this thing off now. Audrey pulls up a chair to get down to business.

9:45 P.M.  
Jack emerges from the woods into an open field. He strains himself to go even faster to get back under the cover of trees. However, just when they're about to re-enter the forest, a humvee comes blasting out from a dirt road. Huang and Lin are in the vehicle, and fire on Jack and John with machine guns. Jack drops John to the ground, and fires back. John springs to his feet, and fires on the humvee with his gun as well.

9:46 P.M.  
Chloe is horrified when she sees the heat signatures of a vehicle and gunfire right next to the signatures of Jack and the other man. She accelerates to the fastest speed her cruiser can obtain.

9:47 P.M.  
Jack covers John, and manages to take out the front tires of the advancing humvee. As the vehicle spins around, Jack takes out the back tires, all with just one shot. Jack then empties his gun firing into the engine of the humvee. Jack and John jump back into the woods just out of range of the furious machine gunfire. Huang and Lin hop out to pursue on foot, but are blown back by the explosion of the humvee.

9:48 P.M.  
On her laptop, Chloe sees Jack and the other escape into the woods, and the explosion of the vehicle, and sighs in relief. She drops her speed, but continues to move at a very fast clip.

9:49 P.M.  
Jack and John continue to quickly run through the woods, but their spirits are high following the explosion. Jack asks John if he was hit. John shakes his head. Jack picks up speed, and John struggles to keep up. He stops for a moment to balance himself against a tree. Jack asks if he's all right. John says that he is and catches up with Jack.

-Commercial Break-

9:54 P.M.  
A guard checks on Huang's head as the humvee smolders next to them. Huang pointedly tells the guard that he's fine. He gets up to inquire Lin about the search for Jack and John. Lin reports that the escapees have had too much of a head start. But Huang is not giving up, and orders Lin to pull out all the stops to find them.

9:55 P.M.  
Chloe pulls over to the side of the road and turns off the engine. Chloe grabs the laptop, sees the battery indicator flashing red, and bounds into the woods.

9:56 P.M.  
Jack and John continue to run at full speed, but John begins to slow down and stagger a bit. Jack stops and looks back, and asks again if John is okay. John waves him off, but loses his balance and begins to fall. Jack sprints back and manages to catch John before his head hits the ground. Cradling his body, Jack begs John to stay with him. But there's no response; John has passed out. Jack is alarmed.

9:57 P.M.  
Trudging through the forest, Chloe sees on her laptop that Jack and the other man have stopped, and adjusts her route accordingly. Suddenly, the screen goes black. The laptop has run out of battery power. Chloe removes her cell phone from its port, throws the now-useless computer to the ground, and hurries to Jack's last known location.

9:58 P.M.  
Jack desperately tries to revive the unconscious John. After glancing around fearfully for any sign of Huang and his guards, Jack puts his ear to John's chest and nods in relief. He then pulls back the lids to John's eyes and sees that they're rolled back. Deeply concerned, Jack slaps John's cheeks, trying to get him to wake up, but that doesn't work. Jack puts his ear back to John's chest. Suddenly, Chloe emerges from some bushes and calls out Jack by name. Jack is startled. But when he looks over his shoulder, he does indeed recognize his old friend. "Chloe?" Jack asks, confused. 


	6. 10:00 PM  11:00 PM

10:00 P.M. - 11:00 P.M.

10:00 P.M.  
Jack looks at Chloe with an odd, distant look on his face. He can't believe it, and quietly asks Chloe if he's hallucinating. Chloe shakes her head, saying that she is very real. She slowly approaches Jack, who snaps out of his daze and gets up from John. He walks over to Chloe, and they embrace. Jack expresses that he never thought he would see her ever again. Chloe replies that she felt the same way too.

10:03 P.M.  
Releasing their embrace, Jack asks Chloe what the hell she is doing way out here. Chloe timidly recounts to Jack how she and Morris went to the courthouse in Beijing to appeal for his release, how his prison warden acted strangely and accused her of knowing about some downed pilot, and then ordered their arrests. Jack's eyes light up at the mention of the pilot, and looks over at John. He interrupts Chloe, telling her that that man is the pilot that the warden was talking about. Chloe is baffled, and Jack explains that the pilot is named John Hansen and that he and a Blackhawk helicopter were shot down near his prison camp five hours ago. He goes back over to John to try to revive him once again. Chloe says that the U.S. embassy knew nothing about it, and that she couldn't find any satellite evidence of a crash. Jack can't explain that, but he saw it happen with his own eyes. Chloe perks with the fact that she did find code fragments suggesting that a loop had been installed over the satellite footage. Jack is now even more certain that John was part of some sort of secret mission critical to the United States, so important that they were willing to violate Chinese sovereignty to achieve their objective. Jack explains that that is why he felt he had to break John out of prison as soon as possible, before he could break and reveal his mission to the prison commander, Huang Wei, and the rest of the Chinese. Chloe understands, nodding her head. She looks over at John, and bluntly remarks that he doesn't look too good. Feeling John's forehead, Jack explains that John has a broken arm, most likely from the chopper crash, and that Huang brutally tortured him after that. He has to keep him alive so that he can alert the U.S. government. Jack asks if Chloe has any way of contacting the American authorities. Chloe answers that she was using a laptop earlier, but that it is out of power. She takes out her cell phone, but there's no service and its battery is low as well. Jack is disappointed, but asks what transportation she used to find them. Chloe explains that she has a stolen police cruiser a few hundred feet away, and that she too is a fugitive from the Chinese, due to accidentally killing a Chinese guard while evading arrest. She recounts to Jack how she lost Morris, how the police ambushed her, how she was able to steal one of their cruisers, and how she was able to find Jack and John on the satellite. Jack is impressed, and tells Chloe that they're going to need more of that resourcefulness in order to get across the border to Mongolia as fast as possible.

10:07 P.M.  
Springer tells Audrey that he thinks the only way they can do this is to have one of them distract Benash with a briefing to the President while the other sneaks into the press pool section and takes the satellite phone from his briefcase. Audrey replies that it's a very risky play, but Springer counters that it's the only option they got. Besides, most of the press corps should be trying to get a few hours sleep before the big summit tomorrow. Audrey agrees, and volunteers to steal the phone. But Springer thinks he should be the one to do the deed, explaining that if anyone happens to see him in the press section, he can easily claim he was there to see one of the reporters to answer a question. Audrey says that that excuse won't fly if someone witnesses him in the act of stealing the phone, but Springer says that he'll be careful. Audrey asks him if he's sure he wants to risk everything for this, and Springer emphasizes that if they really want to contain Benash and his leaks before they get out of hand, they have to do this, and they have to do it now. Audrey slowly nods her head, and leaves to brief the President and Benash. Springer thanks her.

10:09 P.M.  
Jack goes to a nearby tree, inspects some berries, grabs several of them, and mashes them up. He puts them in John's mouth, and rubs his throat so that they go down. He asks Chloe how Audrey is doing, and Chloe says that Audrey is now the National Security Advisor under President Hal Gardner and never gave up trying to get Jack out of China. Jack wistfully smiles. After a moment to himself, Jack's face hardens, and he asks Chloe what happened to Charles Logan. Chloe explains that, just as Jack wanted, Logan pled guilty to treason and obstruction of justice and has been in prison for nearly two years. Jack nods, grimly satisfied that justice has been served. President Gardner in the meantime, Chloe explains, was rewarded for not covering up Logan's involvement in the sale of nerve gas to terrorists and the assassination of David Palmer and was able to squeeze out a victory in the next election.

10:11 P.M.  
With a pained expression on his face, Jack asks Chloe if Kim is all right. Chloe says that she is, but that she still wants nothing to do with him. Jack nods, frowning. Before he can think further of the estrangement with his daughter, John slowly opens his eyes and wakes up. Rubbing his forehead in pain, John apologizes to Jack for hindering their escape, but Jack says that the explosion gave them a huge jump, and that the guards probably think they're much farther ahead than they are. But they do need to get moving, and Jack asks if he's okay to walk. John nods, and Jack helps him up. John jumps back when he sees Chloe, but Jack calms him down. He introduces John to his good friend Chloe, explaining that she has been spending all night trying to find them. John is humbled by Chloe's dedication, and he goes up to her to shake her hand. Jack tells them that the guards will eventually find them if they stay in one place, so they have to go to Chloe's vehicle now. Chloe agrees, and leads Jack and John into the bush.

-Commercial Break-

10:17 P.M.  
One of the prison's humvees passes by Chloe's stolen police cruiser pulled over on the side of the road and the driver calls Huang to report it. Huang is concerned that there is an empty police cruiser on the side of the road, and not far from where Jack and John were last seen, so he has the driver pull over and take down the license plate so that he can call it in.

10:18 P.M.  
Walking through the woods, Chloe tells Jack that Kim is no longer with Barry, the creepy psychiatrist that Jack hated, and that she's recovered from the depression and shock of Jack's supposed death and return. Jack is relieved. John tells Jack that he can't thank him enough for breaking him out of that prison, and looking out for his well-being. And that he is very sorry about all the sacrifices Jack has had to make for his country, especially his relationship with his daughter. Jack gingerly thanks him.

10:19 P.M.  
Huang is informed by the local police dispatch that the cruiser in question was stolen by fugitive Chloe O'Brian during a shootout an hour and a half ago, and that they've been looking for it ever since. Huang has been keeping tabs on the status of Chloe and Morris O'Brian, and stridently informs the officer that he'll be assuming jurisdictional control of the search for Chloe since it has crossed over into his search for the escapees from his prison. The officer complains, but Huang reminds him that he was the one that gave the original order to arrest her and that the area around the prison is his turf. He assures the officer that he wants to take Chloe into custody just as much as they do. The officer relents. Agitated, Huang hangs up, and orders the driver of the humvee that found the cruiser to put a tracking device on the vehicle.

10:20 P.M.  
Audrey enters Gardner's office, telling the President that she needs to brief him on the potential strategic and national security complications if China does find evidence that the United States did violate their sovereignty. Gardner says that Duluth assured him that that wouldn't happen, but they do need to be prepared for anything, so he asks her to summon Springer and Benash. Audrey claims that Springer is taking calls from reporters regarding the statement on the O'Brian arrest they just released, and that she already cleared it with him. She'll send him a memo. Gardner is okay with this, and has her bring in just Benash instead. Audrey leaves the room, and goes down the corridor to get Benash. As she passes by Springer's office, she quickly sticks her hand in the room and gives Springer a thumbs-up. She then goes to Benash sitting on the bench, gestures for him to join her, then leads him to the President's office. As soon as Audrey and Benash walk past Springer's office, Springer slips out and heads to the press section. However, when he turns the corner to the hallway, a reporter emerges from the curtain, spots Springer, and jogs up to him, asking Springer if he thinks the APEC summit will still be successful now that China has another American citizen as a political prisoner. Springer is peeved, but keeps cool and answers the reporter's question.

10:23 P.M.  
As Jack, John, and Chloe walk up a steep hill, John tells Jack once again that he really needs to tell him the details of his mission to China. Jack wants to keep as quiet as possible, but John insists. However, just as John begins, they come to the guardrail and the stolen cruiser. Jack interrupts John, and asks Chloe if she brought a tracker detector. "Why wouldn't I?" Chloe quips. She opens the cruiser and takes out a small device from her purse. Chloe then waves the device all over the car. It crackles to life when she waves it around the exhaust pipe. She reaches under there, pulls out a tracker, and presents it to Jack and John. They're all upset that the prison guards are on to them, but Jack thinks they can use this to their own advantage. Jack tells Chloe to bring the tracking device into the cruiser. Chloe is confused, but puts the device in her pocket. Jack takes the keys and gets into the driver's seat. John and Chloe hop into the vehicle, and they drive off.

-Commercial Break-

10:29 P.M.  
As Lin drives the humvee, Huang monitors the location of the cruiser on a PDA. He radios his other humvees to have them converge at an intersection several miles ahead of the cruiser's current position. Huang reiterates that he wants to take Jack, John, and Chloe alive.

10:30 P.M.  
John begins to say something, but Jack cuts him off, explaining that he has to stay focused for this plan to work. Chloe reminds Jack that the guards won't let them get far. After a few tense moments of driving through the darkness, Jack spots a car ahead of them and tells John and Chloe to get ready. Jack turns on the sirens and speeds up behind the vehicle to get them to pull over. After both cars are pulled over on the side of the road, Jack exits the cruiser and authoritatively approaches the other car. Meanwhile, Chloe quietly slips out of her door and, keeping low to the ground, walks over to the back bumper of the stopped vehicle. The driver lowers his window and is quite shocked to see a bearded Westerner in dirty clothes looking in. Jack explains to the man in Mandarin that he is an immigrated Chinese citizen and was just returning from an undercover assignment. Meanwhile, Chloe furtively attaches the tracker to the underneath of the car. Jack tells the driver that he saw him swerving a bit back there. The man angrily denies that he's drunk, and accuses Jack of abuse of power. He threatens to report Jack to his boss. Jack sees Chloe quietly return to the cruiser and slink back in. Jack says to the man that he won't have to do that, advises him to drive carefully on a Friday night, and lets him go. Shaking his head in disgust, the man speeds off, and Jack confidently returns to the cruiser. He informs Chloe that she did an excellent job. He then turns off the sirens and resumes driving down the road.

10:33 P.M.  
Lin tells Huang that he still feels attacking Jack, John, and Chloe when they got to the cruiser was the right course of action. Huang reminds Lin that they tried capturing the escapees with one humvee less than an hour ago and it backfired terribly. They'll have a better chance if they box them in with all the humvees they have. Huang is however stunned when the dot on his PDA turns off the road and into the woods. He orders all his men to move in on the cruiser now. Jack is on to them. Meanwhile, the car that Jack stopped drives up a dirt road to a farm.

10:34 P.M.  
Back in the cruiser, Chloe explains to Jack that she saw on the map that there was a small village just up past an intersection. Jack is pleased, telling John and Chloe that they're going to need to dump this vehicle, since a police cruiser draws way too much attention and that it won't be long before the guards realize they've been fooled. John and Chloe nod affirmatively. Jack speeds past the intersection and emerges a few moments later into a clearing with a few small farms and some other buildings off the road. Back at the intersection, Huang's humvees roar through and take a sharp turn to the right.

10:35 P.M.  
With the headlights turned off, Jack discreetly parks the cruiser next to a rundown post office. Jack quietly tells the other two that he and Chloe will find a vehicle to steal while John stays with the cruiser. John asks Chloe if she has any service on her cell phone, desperately needing to call the U.S. government, but Chloe takes it out and shakes her head. John asks if he can try to find a landline in the village, but Jack does not want to expose their location. John insists that he won't arouse suspicion and that he'll only need under a minute to convey what he has to. Jack relents, but with the stipulation that as soon as they find that car, they're gone. John understands.

10:36 P.M.  
Huang and his convoy of humvees steam up the dirt road and come upon the farm and the man's car. They surround it and draw their machine guns. Huang is horrified however that the vehicle is not a police cruiser. The innocent man exits his car with his hands up, dumbfounded. Appalled, Huang orders his men to stand down. He slams his hand on the dashboard.

-Commercial Break-

10:41 P.M.  
Rubbing his fingers on the bridge of his nose, Springer tells the reporter to take it up with his editor why the story on the chopper crash was pulled. The reporter replies that that isn't good enough and, anxious and looking at his watch, Springer excuses himself and goes to walk away from the press section. But the reporter snidely tells Springer that there have been a lot of leaks from the administration in the last few hours, wondering what's going on. Through clenched teeth, Springer says that they're looking into it and that he shouldn't worry about it, especially since he's getting plenty of copy. With a knowing smile, the reporter states that he's noticed Benash has been absent from his seat for most of the flight, and that he would very much like to have the deal that Benash has. Springer incredulously denies this, and storms off. But after turning into a hallway, he stops and peers around the corner and sees the reporter smugly walk up the hall to the galley. Looking nervously at his watch again, Springer quickly moves to the curtain of the press section and, after making sure the coast is clear, slips in. As he suspected, most of the press corps is asleep and Springer is able to go over to Benash's seat unnoticed. Taking a deep breath, knowing he's screwed if he's spotted, Springer leans down and retrieves the briefcase from underneath the seat. He quickly opens it, takes the satellite phone, and puts it in his pocket. Springer then swiftly closes the case and puts it back. Looking up, he's relieved that no one has seemed to see him. He then quietly walks back out through the curtain and, once he's clear, cracks a smile.

10:43 P.M.  
Huang apologizes once again to the innocent man and his family for disturbing him like this, as well as for what the fugitive put him through. Huang marches over to Lin, who reports that the humvees have not been able to find the cruiser on the road. Huang is disgusted and fears that Jack and John are long gone. But he refuses to be outsmarted like this, and orders Lin to get their humvee back on the road.

10:44 P.M.  
John looks through the window of a darkened general store and sees a landline phone, but also sees a blinking red light next to the door and decides against it. Sighing, John glances around the empty village. He spots some lights on in a farmhouse up a hill and heads there.

10:45 P.M.  
Jack and Chloe sneak through the village. Chloe spots a vehicle, but Jack shakes his head, whispering that they need a car, not an old, slow tractor. Jack softly asks Chloe if she is still with DoD. Chloe explains that she transferred to the State Department, and that's why she and Morris were in Beijing earlier today, laying the groundwork for the APEC summit tomorrow. Jack is surprised that Chloe is no longer with the Pentagon. Chloe mumbles something, and Jack asks her to speak up. Chloe brusquely states that she transferred because of Jack. She shyly admits that she's been spending the last two years of her life working to secure his release from jail. Jack is humbled and doesn't know what to say. Chloe just moves off in silence.

10:47 P.M.  
A young police officer is driving through the empty streets of remote northern China when he comes upon the village and the abandoned cruiser. He pulls over and shines his high-beams on the vehicle. Jack and Chloe are behind a building and do not see this. After running the plates, the officer radios Huang and reports that he's found the stolen police cruiser parked in a remote village and empty. His commanding officer informed him that Huang was running point on this. Huang thanks the officer, and orders him to turn around and let him and his men handle this. The young man agrees. Huang urgently orders all his men to hurry over to the village. The officer turns his cruiser around and drives away. Jack sees the flash of the cruiser's headlights on one of the houses, but by the time he looks up the road, the cruiser is gone. Jack is not sure what just happened, but he tells Chloe that they need to find John now.

-Commercial Break-

10:53 P.M.  
Jack and Chloe find John at the tree line scouting out the farmhouse, barn, and another building. John is initially startled when Jack calls out his name, but recognizes Jack and Chloe and resignedly assumes that they have found another vehicle and that he's going to have to pull out. But Jack answers that something isn't right and that they have to make for the woods. "I think I found a better way," John says. Suddenly, Huang and his men pull up in several humvees, shine their lights all over the village, find the three at the tree line, and open fire. Jack, John, and Chloe dart into the forest, but the humvees fire in front of them and they are forced to turn back. John fires back with his gun.

10:55 P.M.  
Audrey wraps up her briefing with Gardner and Benash, and dismisses herself. As Audrey leaves the room, Benash taps his pad of notes and flashes an enthusiastic smile at the President. Gardner looks away in disgust. Audrey hurries into Springer's office and is relieved to see the satellite phone on his desk. Springer smiles and thanks Audrey for keeping Benash as occupied as long as she did since he was waylaid by a reporter. Audrey thanks Springer for taking such a huge risk. Springer appreciates the risk that Audrey took as well, and is so pleased that they've stopped the leaks for now. He also can't wait to see just who Benash has been calling, but Audrey warns him that Benash is going to quickly discover his phone is missing and that he needs to find a safe hiding spot for it as soon as possible. Springer agrees.

10:56 P.M.  
Hiding behind a shed several hundred yards from the farmhouse and barn, John explains to Jack and Chloe that if they can get to that large building next to the barn, they might be able to get out of this situation. Jack asks what John has in mind, but he has no time to respond as Huang's humvees drive up the hill, guns blazing. The front of the shed gets torn up by the bullets. John yells to Jack and Chloe to head to that building while he covers them. As they run across the empty rice paddies, Huang jumps out of his humvee and exchanges gunfire with John.

10:57 P.M.  
Humming gleefully, Benash struts back to the press section. Benash mutters to himself that this is going to be the biggest scoop of his career and make him the most powerful journalist in the country. Deeply satisfied with himself, Benash walks to his seat, retrieves his briefcase and opens it, but does not see his phone. He frantically goes through all his papers and affects in the case, but it's nowhere to be found. Benash can't believe it, and loudly curses.

10:58 P.M.  
Jack kicks in the locked door, and he and Chloe enter the building. It is a hangar, and parked inside is a small single-engine four-seat plane. John comes rushing in after them, alerting them that they have no time to lose. John sees the plane and tells them that he suspected that this building was a hangar and that it probably had a plane in it. As the gunfire pounds the hangar, John tells Jack to open the hangar door while he fires up the plane and gets it ready for takeoff. Jack rushes over to the door while John and Chloe hop into the plane. Jack lifts the hangar door and hurries back to the plane as the engines wind up. He passes by several rifles hanging on the wall, and he grabs them and checks to see that they're loaded. They are, and Jack jumps into the plane. John taxis the plane out of the hangar. One of the guards enters the hangar, but Jack opens the side door and takes him out with a shot from one of the rifles. The plane picks up speed on the empty field. Huang and his guards stream into the hangar and open fire. John pulls back on the control stick and the plane rises into the air. Huang watches in silence as the plane banks and flies away. 


	7. 11:00 PM  12:00 AM

11:00 P.M. - 12:00 A.M.

11:00 P.M.  
Huang marches back to his humvee with Lin. He instructs one of his guards to explain the situation to the family of the farm. Huang climbs back into the humvee with Lin. "I don't care what it takes," Huang intones. "We're going to find these bastards."

11:03 P.M.  
John checks the instrument panel and levels the plane just a thousand feet above the trees. He explains to Jack and Chloe that he wants to keep it low to avoid radar. They could still be spotted from the ground, but fortunately it's dark and late at night. Jack thanks John for getting them out of that predicament. He offers to take over, telling John that he is a registered pilot and that he should get some rest. John says that he's fine. Jack is also concerned with John's untreated broken arm, but John replies that he snapped the bone back into place and that it isn't his primary arm. Jack accepts this, knowing that John is a much better pilot than he, even on only one arm. John smiles. Chloe interrupts to report that at their current speed and altitude, and based on their last known location, they should be in Mongolian airspace in a few hours.

11:05 P.M.  
Springer secures the satellite phone under a pile of loose wires in an electrical closet. He quietly exits the closet and heads back to his office, but is intercepted by an irate Benash. He heatedly informs Springer that his personal phone is missing and that he's sure Springer has it. Springer adamantly denies this, speculating that Benash misplaced it. Benash chuckles, telling Springer that that phone is essential to his career and that he would never lose it. "Then why did you?" Springer retorts. Benash jabs his finger at Springer's face, saying that he knows Springer or one of his minions stole it and that when he finds it, he's going to be sorry. Benash storms off. Springer glides to his office self-satisfied.

11:06 P.M.  
John checks the plane's radio, so that once they're over Mongolian airspace, he will be able to immediately alert the authorities. John asks Jack if he can explain exactly why he was in that helicopter, since they're now safe and don't need to worry about being heard and discovered. Jack answers that he's been waiting for hours to be in a safe place to hear John's story, and lets him proceed. John tells Jack and Chloe that he has been undercover with a group of Chinese terrorists for the last few months and that earlier today he learned that there is going to be an attack on the APEC summit tomorrow. He doesn't know how the attack is going to be carried out, but he does know that the President of the United States, the Chinese President, and the rest of the APEC leaders are the targets. These terrorists are devoted to destroying what they see as the oppressive Chinese state and will do whatever it takes to guarantee success. John explains that he wasn't allowed to communicate with his superiors at all during his time undercover, since the terrorists monitored all communications and they couldn't risk the Chinese finding out about the covert mission and the violation of their sovereignty. But he was allowed to send an emergency extraction signal, a single burst emitted on a specific radio frequency. After finding out about the threat to the summit, John sent the signal, and a Blackhawk helicopter flew in from Mongolia, picked him up at the designated extraction point, and was flying back to Mongolia when they were shot down. But the most important piece of information he has to convey to his superiors is that at some point prior to the summit, the terrorists will threaten to assassinate the APEC leaders, make some sort of exorbitant demand from the President, and have some sort of demonstration to prove their seriousness and capabilities, but John knows that the terrorists have no intention of acting in good faith. This attack is going to happen regardless of what the President does. John says that that's why he has to alert his superiors as soon as possible. Jack understands, and thanks him for sharing. Chloe says that she may be able to get some service up here, and takes out her cell phone to call the U.S. embassy. Jack looks out at the black sky, the enormity of it all hitting him.

-Commercial Break-

11:13 P.M.  
Chloe tries the U.S. embassy again, but she gets the low battery screen and it shuts down. John thanks Chloe for trying. Fortunately, the summit isn't until the morning, so they have plenty of time to get to Mongolia and warn the authorities. Jack wearily cautions that Huang is a "hard-nosed son of a bitch" who will stop at nothing to bring them in, so they must not get complacent.

11:14 P.M.  
En route in their humvee, Lin reports to Huang that the plane is still not showing up on radar and there has been no radio chatter in that area. Huang grimly tells Lin that it's really not even worth trying, since Jack and John would not be stupid enough to telegraph their position so easily. But Huang is still confident that they'll be able to find the fugitives before they escape to Mongolia.

11:15 P.M.  
Springer is alone in his office when he gets a call from the President demanding to see him right away. He goes there, and enters Gardner's office to find both Benash and the President staring him down. He asks what Gardner summoned him for, and the President says that Benash lost his satellite phone and is claiming that Springer stole it. Springer vigorously denies this, incredulous at the very suggestion. Duluth comes in, perplexed and curious as to the purpose of this meeting. Benash fiercely tells Duluth that his phone is missing, and that he's sure either he or Springer took it, since that was how he was communicating with the media back home. Gardner intones that he knows that both Springer and Duluth have a problem with Benash and the situation they've all been forced into, but that does not justify taking his personal property and that he really hopes that none of them had anything to do the phone's disappearance. Benash counters that of course one of them was involved in the phone's theft, since only a few select people know of the terrorist demand and know that he was brought into the loop. Both Springer and Duluth have expressed strong resistance to Benash's presence and his leaks, so it only makes sense that either one of them or both of them took it. Springer steps forward, demanding proof. Benash warns Springer not to underestimate him. Gardner shouts that that's enough, insistent that they can find a solution to this dispute without coming to blows. Benash shakes his head in frustration.

11:17 P.M.  
Jack speculates that if the authorities will already know of the threat before the summit convenes, then security will be beefed up to its maximum level, making a successful attack unlikely. John reiterates that these guys don't mess around and will find a way to make this happen. If it were up to him, he would postpone the summit and find another country to host it. Jack knows however that no political leader wants to look weak in the face of terrorism, and asks John if he knows anyone that Secret Service and local police should be looking out for. John says that he never met or even knew the name of the person their cell reported to. He was just working with a bunch of low-level grunts that had nothing to do with the direct planning of this operation. They probably know just as little as he does.

11:18 P.M.  
Gardner tells Benash that both Springer and Duluth are good men, and that he really can't believe that one of them would steal. Benash exclaims that the President is obviously a poor judge of character. Gardner implores Benash to remain calm, but Benash won't have any of it, saying that he has every right to be upset over this. The President evenly asks Benash if he can remember the last time he saw his phone. Benash screams that of course he remembers the last time he saw it. Jabbing his finger at Gardner, he bellows that he refuses to stand there and be treated like a child. "How dare you disrespect the President!" Springer cries out. But Benash feverishly counters that the President is just a man and that he's covering for Springer and Duluth. Gardner adamantly insists that he isn't, and coldly orders him to leave and to not return until he has proof. Benash storms out of the room without another word, slamming the door behind him.

11:19 P.M.  
The President coolly asks Springer and Duluth if one of them did steal Benash's phone. They both say no. Gardner nods to himself, reiterating that he really hopes one of them isn't lying to him, because he will not tolerate any malfeasance among his staff.

11:20 P.M.  
Chloe explains to John that she found evidence of a loop installed over Chinese satellite footage of the prison, and when she called the U.S. embassy, they knew nothing about a chopper crash. That makes sense to John, knowing that his superiors would cover their tracks and do whatever it took to ensure there was no evidence that a U.S. Blackhawk helicopter was ever in Chinese airspace. But he is curious as to why the embassy was apparently unaware about the crash. He had assumed Huang had reported the incident to his government, and that the whole world knew of their mission.

11:21 P.M.  
Huang wearily informs Cheng over the phone that it has proven more difficult to capture Jack and John than he thought, but assures him that they will be brought to justice.

-Commercial Break-

11:26 P.M.  
Gardner considers informing the Secret Service that Benash's phone is missing, but Springer strongly urges the President to keep them out of this. It's just one man's phone. Gardner replies that that man is all that is standing between them and a devastating terrorist attack on the summit. Benash bursts in to report that he has found proof that Springer stole his phone. Springer shifts uncomfortably on the couch, but still promptly gets up to fiercely refute Benash's claim, and speculates that Benash's alarm over his phone is more than just concern for one's personal belongings. Benash scoffs, and opens the door to let in the reporter that talked to Springer an hour earlier. The reporter is confused, but at Benash's prodding, explains to the President and the others that he bumped into Springer outside of the press section an hour ago, and, again at Benash's urging, says that he noticed Springer looking agitated and distracted. Benash abruptly dismisses him, but the reporter refuses, demanding to know what's going on. He had already suspected that Benash was behind the leaks, and now this only confirms it. "Why in hell is Benash getting special treatment?" he asks Gardner. The President answers that it is a matter of national security, and threatens to shut him out of the White House if he publishes his misinformation or discusses it with anyone. The reporter has no choice but to comply, and leaves irritated.

11:28 P.M.  
Springer says that that proved nothing. He swears he did not take Benash's phone. "Oh, stop digging," Benash spitefully replies. The reporter's testimony proves that Springer was near the press section during the time that the phone went missing. Benash can't believe that that was simply a coincidence. He implores Springer to drop his fa ade and give him back his phone. Springer acknowledges that he talked to that reporter, but insists that that does not mean he had anything to do with the phone's disappearance. Benash screams that he does and to stop denying it. Gardner beseeches Benash to calm down, and offers to have the Secret Service to thoroughly search the plane for his phone. But Benash refuses, thinking that Gardner would cover up any evidence of Springer's crime. Benash even speculates that the whole "national security briefing" an hour ago was a ruse to distract him, and demands to speak to Audrey. Gardner says no, finished with Benash's antics, and asks him to leave, but Benash shrieks that he will be treated as a member of the President's staff and his concerns will not be ignored. The President counters that his concerns will be ignored unless he can present conclusive proof that Springer stole his phone. Benash accuses Gardner of complicity in the theft, but Gardner reminds Benash that he is the President of the United States. He sent Charles Logan to jail. And he would never stoop to his level. But that also doesn't mean he has to listen to the paranoid fantasies of anyone, no matter what the circumstances. Benash reiterates to Gardner that the President is just a man, but Gardner rejoins that he's still an American citizen, this is still his office, and orders him out. Benash promises to return with irrefutable evidence that Springer pilfered his phone and leaves, steaming.

11:30 P.M.  
Gardner dismisses Duluth from the room, and privately asks Springer what he was doing near the press section an hour ago. Audrey claimed that he was taking calls from reporters on the O'Brian statement. Springer says that he was, but that he was also going to talk to a communications staffer when he was intercepted by that reporter. He then returned to his office to take more calls. Gardner wonders if he happened to pull up the phone logs, he would find such calls. Springer implores the President to trust him, reminding Gardner that it's Benash that's been disloyal and unstable all day. Gardner nods his head, saying that he does trust him, but that there will be repercussions if he's found to have stolen the phone. Springer accepts this.

11:31 P.M.  
John explains to Jack and Chloe that he was able to infiltrate the terrorist group by posing as a mercenary. He winces at all the things he had to do to get them to trust him. Jack tells John that he's gone undercover several times throughout his career, so he knows how it feels. He knows the fear, the isolation, and the pain from being away from one's family for so long. John completely understands, describing how he hasn't heard his wife and daughter's voices for months and that there were many times over that period that he doubted his mission and perseverance. But he made it out, and now it's almost over. Jack nods in sympathy, knowing just how hard it felt to have been separated from Teri and Kim during his stints undercover, aware of the possibility that he may never have seen them again, and how painful it still is to have not seen or heard from his daughter in over two years. John reaches over and rubs his shoulder caringly.

11:33 P.M.  
Benash wakes up a sleeping member of the press corps, frantically asking her if she happened to see Springer sneaking around the nearby seats. The woman groggily says no. Benash comes up empty with another sleeping reporter. Frustrated, Benash shouts at the top of his lungs to get the entire press section to wake up and to have his attention. He asks everyone if Springer was in their section an hour ago. But no reporter comes forward. Benash brusquely thanks the pool for their help and leaves, dejected.

11:34 P.M.  
Gardner stares at his phone for several moments before deciding to pick it up and call the archives department. But when the tech asks Gardner what he wants, the President tells the man that he's changed his mind and hangs up. Gardner wearily puts his hand to his forehead.

11:35 P.M.  
Chloe tenderly asks Jack what he is going to do once they get to Mongolia. Jack says that he is probably going to have to disappear again, since he's now a fugitive from the Chinese government. Chloe recommends that Jack try to apply for asylum in Mongolia, but Jack reminds her that he has not been "persecuted." He was prosecuted under Chinese law for a crime committed on Chinese soil. Disappearing is the only way he can avoid going back to that prison. Chloe nods in agreement, and looks out the plane window for a few moments, deep in thought. "I'm going to have to disappear too," she says sorrowfully.

-Commercial Break-

11:40 P.M.  
Springer is nervously tapping his fingers on his desk when Duluth enters to report that the FBI and the CIA have finished their background search on Benash and have uploaded their findings to Springer's computer, as per his request. Springer thanks him, and pulls up the report, which lists the contacts and dealings of Benash that both agencies have flagged. Duluth cautions Springer that the contacts in question were all part of an expos Benash wrote on the People's Freedom Coalition, an extremist group accused of acts of violence. Springer doesn't trust a word that comes out of Benash's mouth, and can't believe that those connections are so benign. Duluth doesn't trust Benash either, but is fairly confident that his agency would have found evidence of any truly nefarious activity by Benash. Springer hints that he may have access to information that no federal agency does, and softly asks if Duluth can keep a secret. "That's my job," Duluth cracks, smiling. Springer takes a deep breath and reveals that he did indeed take Benash's phone. Duluth staggers a bit, but isn't surprised. He asks if the theft was sanctioned by the President. Springer answers that he would never expose Gardner like that. He knows nothing, and for good reason. Duluth nods his head, understanding Springer's reasons and happy that the leaks have stopped for now, and asks Springer what his next move is. Springers intends to pull up the list of Benash's most recent calls from the phone, find out who exactly he has been talking to, and see just if Benash is as innocent as he claims to be. Duluth asks to see the phone, but Springer says that it's in a safe place and that it's best if he's as uninvolved as possible. Duluth agrees, and asks Springer to let him know if he finds anything. Springer says that he will, and Duluth leaves. Springer anxiously clenches his fists.

11:43 P.M.  
Jack notices that Chloe is crying and he asks her what's wrong. Wiping away the tears, Chloe says that it is nothing. But Jack compassionately wants to know what's troubling her, and Chloe answers that she was just thinking about Morris and his arrest by the Chinese police. She worries what is going to happen to him. She is afraid she will never see him again. Jack consoles Chloe, reminding her that she was the one that pulled the trigger, not Morris. Hopefully, the Chinese will release him once they realize that. But Chloe knows that the Chinese need a scapegoat for the death of their guard, and if it has to be Morris, so be it. As she breaks down in tears, Chloe bemoans that Morris is going to be convicted of a crime he did not commit, tortured, and then executed. Jack looks down at the floor of the plane, knowing that Chloe is probably right. All he can do is get up from his seat and hug her.

11:44 P.M.  
As he sympathetically glances over at the embrace, John kindly offers to give Chloe a flying lesson. Chloe is hesitant, but John convinces her that it will be fun and make her feel better. Chloe takes a moment to collect her thoughts and emotions, and accepts John's offer. John explains the functions of all the instruments on the panel. He is impressed when she then, unprompted, repeats everything he had just told her. Jack remarks that Chloe is one of the best analysts out there and stopped some of the worst attacks on their country, from the Cordilla virus to the nuclear missile to the Sentox nerve gas. Chloe humbly says that she was just doing her job and that Jack deserves way more adulation. Now Jack is bashful as he modestly bestows the responsibility for the successful resolution of those crises on the hard work of all the federal law enforcement agencies. John says that Jack shouldn't be ashamed of everything he has done for his country, of how many lives he has saved. Jack wistfully thanks him. John and Chloe return to their lesson. John gives Chloe a quick rundown on the controls, and then lets her take the stick. Her eyes lighting up like a child, she eagerly pulls back, and the plane pitches up sharply. John tells her to treat the plane very gently, and Chloe, after taking a very deep breath, returns the plane to an even level. After a few moments, she gets the hang of it and ecstatically expresses that she's really flying. Jack and John smile. Chloe thanks John very much for giving her this opportunity.

11:46 P.M.  
Springer quietly walks through the corridors, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. He spots the reporter that he had talked to an hour ago, and quickly turns back and into an adjacent corridor. He waits there for the reporter to walk past.

11:47 P.M.  
Chloe continues to fly the plane. She expresses to Jack and John that she's finally relaxed. They're both very happy for her. Chloe casually states just how bright the stars are up here, even with the running lights on. She asks Jack and John what a particular constellation is in front of them. John identifies it, but in a perplexed and slightly alarmed voice. He takes back control and shuts off all the lights. John squints to get a better look, but that doesn't change his alarm and he slams his hand on his thigh. "Damn it!" he curses. Jack and Chloe are confused. John explains that that constellation shouldn't be ahead of them at this time of night if they were heading due north. The plane's compass must be misconfigured. Based on that constellation's position, they've probably been going closer to north-northeast for most of the trip. Jack, John, and Chloe are all deflated that they've wasted so much time. John turns the lights back on and repositions the plane so that they are now definitely heading due north to Mongolia.

-Commercial Break-

11:53 P.M.  
Springer goes to the electrical closet where he hid Benash's phone. He looks around cautiously before entering. No one is around, so he opens the door and walks in. Springer retrieves the phone from the pile of loose wires and pulls up the list of its most recent calls. He takes out a small notepad and begins writing down the names and numbers.

11:54 P.M.  
John temporarily shuts off the lights again to check again that they are heading north. He apologizes to Jack and Chloe for not catching the broken compass earlier. Jack tells John not to worry, since such a malfunction is hard to see. Suddenly, the proximity alarm goes off, and John sees on the radar that a helicopter is quickly coming up behind them. "Huang " Jack sighs. John urges Jack and Chloe to hang on tight, and turns the plane sharply to the right to try to evade the hostile chopper.

11:55 P.M.  
From their black helicopter, Huang and Lin observe this action, and Huang irritably notes that they've been spotted. He orders his pilot to turn in pursuit. They have to move in now.

11:56 P.M.  
Springer is writing down names and numbers when Benash suddenly appears behind him. He ominously asks Springer to hand over the phone and notepad immediately. Unfazed, Springer calmly places the phone back in the pile of wires, stands up to face Benash eye to eye, and says no. He will not let Benash continue to undermine the presidency like this. Benash reminds Springer that stealing personal property, no matter how small, is a crime, and that he will make sure this goes on Springer's record if he doesn't give him back his phone now. Springer says that it's just his word against his, and dares him to accuse the White House Chief of Staff of petty theft. Benash snaps that he will, and tells Springer to expect a call from the police very soon if he doesn't surrender the phone. Springer counters that maybe Benash should be the one expecting that call, asking him what he is doing making multiple calls to and having numerous meetings with members of the People's Freedom Coalition. Benash furiously answers that those were for a story for his paper and that Springer is just grasping at straws. Benash insists that he is just an ambitious reporter who takes no crap. "I don't care who you are. You are betraying the President and your country," Springer exclaims. "And it ends now!" Benash screams at Springer to give it back, but Springer refuses, nostrils flaring, barking that Benash needs to see his therapist. Benash lunges for the phone, and Springer blocks him. They struggle. Benash then punches Springer in the gut, and as he recoils in pain, Benash grabs Springer from behind, covers his mouth, and injects a syringe into his heart. Springer falls to the ground, lifeless.

11:58 P.M.  
John desperately tries to evade the encroaching helicopter, but to no avail. Huang catches up with the plane and he calmly orders Lin to shoot them down. The chopper fires a missile, and scores a direct hit on the back of the plane, sending it into a tailspin. Chloe screams as John frantically tries to restore control. Huang smiles as the flames come out of the back of the doomed aircraft. John finally does take back control and he informs Jack and Chloe that he is going to try for an emergency landing. Jack and Chloe get into a crouch. John grips the control stick as the plane gets closer and closer to the dark ground. The top of the trees rush up at the window and shear off the wings, and the plane crash-lands in the woods. 


	8. 12:00 AM  1:00 AM

12:00 A.M. - 1:00 A.M.

12:00 A.M.  
Jack wakes up with a start. He looks to his left and sees John snapped back in his seat, his head bloody. Moving like he's underwater, Jack reaches over and checks Chloe's pulse. He nods when he hears that she's still alive. Still moving slowly, Jack picks up a shard of glass from the windshield and uses it as a knife to saw off his jammed seatbelt. He gets out of his seat and goes over to Chloe to do a more thorough check of her condition. She is conscious, woozy, but communicative. Blood drips from her cheek. Jack whispers to Chloe that she appears to be just bruised and that she can move out of the plane. Chloe asks about John, and Jack tells her to just worry about getting out. He cuts her loose with the shard of glass and instructs her to start climbing through the open windshield. As she slowly starts to climb, Jack tends to John. He informs Chloe that John is alive but in pretty bad shape. Jack orders her to get as far away as possible from the plane in case the engine blows. She hesitates, but Jack yells at her to go. Chloe quickly climbs out of the plane as Jack frees John from his seat and drags him to the side door. Jack tries to kick open the door, but it doesn't work. Despite being weakened by the crash, Jack uses the full force of his body to slam against the door. On the third try, Jack knocks down the door and stumbles out. He drags John out and puts him once again on his back. Retrieving and tossing the rifle to Chloe, Jack shouts that they need to start running since Huang is going to find a place to land. They start moving.

12:05 A.M.  
As the helicopter flies over the forest, Lin tells Huang that no one could have survived that crash. Huang calls Lin an idiot, explaining that it was a controlled crash-landing and that it's likely that at least some of the fugitives lived. Huang spots a clearing up ahead and orders his pilot to land there. He is not going to stop until Jack, John, and Chloe are either dead or in his custody.

12:06 A.M.  
Benash hides Springer's body in the electrical closet and uses the bottom of his recovered phone to jam the lock. He then breathlessly trots down the corridor. Benash sits down on a bench by the windows and takes out his notepad. Wiping the sweat off of his brow, Benash takes out his satellite phone and calls one of his contacts in the media back home to report that he has exclusive information on the Gardner administration's national security strategy in the whole Asian region. Benash flashes a toothy smile at a passing Secret Service agent before continuing.

12:07 A.M.  
Huang's helicopter lands in front of a large factory. As he hops out, Huang radios his men to meet him at the location with his humvees. Huang tells Lin that he's going to need a map of this area to see if there's a way to get to the crash site on wheels.

12:08 A.M.  
Chloe sees that Jack is grimacing and sweating profusely with the unconscious John on his back. Chloe asks if he is all right, bluntly stating that it's not probably not a good idea to carry a grown man on your back just after being involved in a plane crash. Jack insists that they can't stop, but Chloe is proven right when he collapses under the weight and falls to the ground. John rolls over and wakes up. He looks around disoriented for a moment before making a sardonic comment about how his arm is never going to heal. Chloe cracks that John probably became the first pilot to get shot down twice by the same guy in one day and survive. Returning the conversation to a serious level, Jack asks John if he feels absolutely sure he can move on his own. John says that he is, but Jack insists that he be 100% sure, stressing that they were just in a plane crash. John reiterates that he's fine and that they can't wait around here arguing waiting for Huang to catch them. Jack knows John is right, and so they run off into the woods.

12:10 A.M.  
Lin shows Huang a map of the surrounding area and that there is a dirt road that they can use to get there. Huang radios his men to head to that road, and abruptly begins to walk in that direction, telling a bemused Lin that they have to get to that crash site as soon as possible.

12:11 A.M.  
John trips over a root as he and Jack and Chloe run through the woods. He falls to the ground. John quickly gets up to claim that he's all right and insist that they keep moving, but Jack isn't convinced. He asks Chloe if she could help carry John. Suddenly, a branch snaps in front of them, and a woman in camping gear approaches them, aiming a shotgun. In Mandarin, she orders them to stand still or they will die.

-Commercial Break-

12:16 A.M.  
Gardner is on the phone with his wife when Benash opens the door and announces to the President that he found his phone. Gardner bites his tongue on how rude Benash just was, and tells the First Lady that he needs to put her on hold. Flashing a fake smile, Gardner says that that is good and asks where he found it. Benash claims that he found it lodged in-between the seat cushions and insincerely apologizes for putting Gardner, Springer, and Duluth through all that trouble. Gardner grits his teeth as he accepts Benash's apology. The President then asks if Springer knows about this. Benash innocently says that he already spoke to him and that he's apologized for unfairly accusing him. Gardner says that he would like to speak to Springer as soon as he's available, but Benash claims that Springer decided to get a few hours of sleep. Benash then abruptly leaves without a word. Gardner is bewildered and suspicious, and, lost in thought, forgets that his wife is on hold. He snaps out of it and gets back to his call.

12:18 A.M.  
Benash nervously heads down the corridor from the President's office and marches into Springer's empty office. He looks around the room frantically. Benash spots the chair behind Springer's desk, drags it across the room, undoes his tie, and then wraps one end to the top of the chair and the other to the doorknob. He then gently jams the top railing of the chair under the doorknob. He opens the door enough for him to slide out, make sure that no one is watching, turn off the lights in the office, and then slam the door. Benash turns the knob and tries to re-enter, but can't. Breathing a sigh of relief, Benash smiles and heads down the hallway back to the press section.

12:19 A.M.  
Audrey calls out to Benash from behind. Benash stops dead in his tracks and grimaces. But he turns around and, flashing his smile, asks Audrey what's up. Audrey asks Benash if he has seen Springer recently. Benash looks as if he just heard a foreign language, and Audrey continues, explaining that Springer called her a while ago and wanted to talk to her about something, but he isn't in his office and no one has seen him for well over a half hour. Benash snaps out of his trance and claims that he was just with Springer in his office and that he was going to get some rest. Audrey eyes Benash suspiciously, saying that that doesn't make any sense. Springer had something really important to discuss with her. Benash asserts that he heard the words come out of Springer's mouth and dares Audrey to check it out for herself. Edging closer, he warns her that the White House Chief of Staff will not appreciate being woken up like that. Audrey warns Benash that she is the National Security Advisor and that she knows what she's doing. She turns around and begins to walk over to Springer's office. Benash resumes going down the corridor, but Audrey stops, turns back to Benash, and asks him what happened to his tie. Benash closes his eyes in pain, but twirls around and coolly answers that he spilled coffee on it. Audrey knowingly grins with a sharp toss of the head. Without another word, she continues moving to Springer's office. Benash sighs and walks to the press section.

12:20 A.M.  
Audrey goes to the door of Springer's office and sees that the room is darkened. She tries to open the door, but it is locked. She rubs the bridge of her nose as she realizes that Benash could be telling the truth.

12:21 A.M.  
Three other armed campers approach the captive Jack, John, and Chloe. Two are male, the other female. In broken English, the woman that caught them explains that she heard the plane crash from their campsite and was going over there to check on any survivors. But they heard over the radio to keep an eye out for any disheveled Westerners in the woods. Jack and Chloe match the description of two escaped fugitives. The three are all confused why the camper apparently didn't recognize John, and share looks. The female camper continues, saying that the Chinese government has offered a hefty reward for their capture, and that they're going to make them very rich. John jumps in, explaining in perfect Mandarin that he's a Chinese resident and that he captured the fugitives and was taking them to Beijing to collect the bounty. He offers to share the money with the four of them if they help them get to Beijing. The campers don't believe him, but John is insistent, claiming that he's been living in China for ten years and that they can confirm this with the Chinese government. He says that his name is John Franklin and owns a factory in a small village. John threatens to charge them with kidnapping and endangerment if they don't let him go now. The campers shift nervously, but the female camper demands to see John's papers. John confidently asserts that all his identification was destroyed in the fire after the plane crash. The campers are not sure what to do, and John reminds them that the alert only mentioned two fugitives. He has no reason to lie to them. All he wants to do is make a little quick cash. The female camper lowers her shotgun a bit, hesitant. She then gestures for the other three to join her, and they converse privately, with the lead woman keeping an eye on the trio at all times. After several moments, they come to a decision. The female camper announces that they will try to confirm John's identity before alerting the authorities. But she will keep John under guard until she finds out whether or not he is telling the truth. John nods, saying that he can accept this compromise. Jack, John, and Chloe share a look as the female camper orders them up at gunpoint and marches them deeper into the woods.

-Commercial Break-

12:28 A.M.  
Audrey gently knocks on the door to the President's office, and Gardner lets her in. Audrey tells Gardner that she hasn't seen Springer in well over an hour and a half and that she's growing concerned. Gardner responds that Springer is getting some rest before the summit, and Audrey asks if he heard that directly from Springer. Gardner admits that it was Benash that told him. "Oh, I trust Benash as far as I can throw him," Audrey grumbles. Gardner gives Audrey a tight smile and a nod of his head, knowing just where she is coming from, but reminds Audrey that Benash hasn't actually lied to them during this whole ordeal. He has been completely honest about what he has been doing. Audrey concedes that that is true, but - biting her lip - adds that there is another reason for her concern. Gardner darkly asks what she means by that. Audrey tentatively confesses that Springer did indeed steal Benash's phone and that she was going to meet with him in his office to look at the list of names and numbers pulled from it when he "decided to get some rest." She can't believe that he would abruptly cancel like that, especially without telling her first. Gardner puts his hand to his forehead, dismayed that Springer would lie to him but not totally surprised. He quietly asks if the "briefing" on Asian national security policy was just a ruse to draw Benash away from his seat. Audrey, eyes closed, silently nods her head. The President rises from his desk and goes over to Audrey, who lowers her head in shame. Gardner expresses his grave disappointment with both her and Springer in deceiving him like this, and that their subterfuge will not be forgotten. Audrey accepts this, but explains to the President that that is why she really fears something has happened to Springer. They risked a lot in order to get that phone and stop the leaks and find out just who Benash really is, and for Springer to suddenly go to sleep just doesn't make any sense. Gardner realizes that if indeed Springer had the phone this entire time, then that means Benash was lying to him a few minutes ago when he claimed he found the phone at his seat. This concerns the President, but it's still not proof of malfeasance. Gardner gently asks Audrey if she has any. Audrey is alarmed at this news, but says no, expressing that she just has a bad feeling about this. Gardner blurts out that he has a bad feeling about his aides going behind his back. Audrey apologizes again, avoiding eye contact with the President. Gardner coolly asks if she actually checked Springer's office before she confronted him. Audrey nods her head silently, saying that she checked two times in the last half hour. The first time the office was empty and unlocked, but the second time the room was darkened and the door was locked. Gardner raises his arms, not knowing what the problem is. Springer must be is in there and asleep. Audrey reiterates that she was supposed to be meeting about the contacts on Benash's phone and Springer didn't leave one word on his supposed decision to get rest. It was also too quick from the empty office to the darkened office. Gardner counters that that is just her opinion, and that it is just as possible that Benash negotiated with Springer to get his phone back and is now covering for him. Gardner insists that he's not going to worry about this. He stares down Audrey, and all she can do is accept this.

12:31 A.M.  
The campers continue to lead Jack, John, and Chloe through the woods to their campsite. As John walks, he stumbles a bit. Jack very quietly asks if he's all right. John nods, but suddenly bends over and vomits, and then collapses to the ground. The campers spin around to John and cock their shotguns, but Jack is already by his side. He desperately shouts out in Mandarin that John most likely suffered a concussion in the plane crash and needs medical attention. The female camper heartlessly answers that John will get that attention if they can confirm he is who he says he is. Jack and Chloe watch helplessly as one of the male campers picks up John and carries him over his shoulder as the group continues their trek.

12:32 A.M.  
Several humvees and vans pull up to the darkened factory. One of the drivers calls Lin to report that they have arrived at the staging area. Lin orders them to have one of the vehicles pick them up off the dirt road. Lin relays this to Huang, who continues to slog through the woods. Lin recommends that they stop and go to the dirt road to wait for the vehicle, but Huang sneers that Lin doesn't give him orders. They have to keep pushing to the crash site; they can't slow down. Lin apologizes, but says that they can keep moving on foot on the dirt road. Huang begrudgingly accepts this.

12:33 A.M.  
Audrey explains that she and Springer were just trying to protect Gardner, and protect his presidency from any further damage. The President replies that he shares their concern over Benash and his leaks, but that that still doesn't justify going behind his back. They should have brought this to him before any action was taken. Audrey begins to explain that they needed to make this look as convincing as possible, but Gardner raises his finger, not wanting to hear it, and Audrey promptly shuts up. They are then interrupted by an urgent phone call from the Vietnamese President. Gardner and Audrey are perplexed, but he orders her to summon Benash. Audrey doesn't move, and Gardner begs her not to have him force the Secret Service to get him. Audrey folds and storms out to fetch Benash. As the President waits, he paces around his desk, softly pounding the wood with his fist. Audrey finds Benash back in the press section, putting on a new tie from his briefcase. She silently signals Benash to come with her. Audrey twists her lip when she sees Benash take out the satellite phone from his briefcase and put it in an inside pocket of his jacket. She leads Benash back to the President's office and, with a scowl on her face, enters the room with him, and Gardner takes the call. The Vietnamese President skips the pleasantries and brazenly asks Gardner why he lied to him during their last conversation. Gardner is not sure what that means, and the Vietnamese President reminds his counterpart that he assured him that he had taken Benash out of the loop as soon as the hostage situation had been resolved. But in the hours since they talked, several disturbing things have come to his attention, such as a story on a crashed helicopter in China that was then retracted and intimate details of a supposedly private argument between Presidents Bao and Gardner. However, what alarms him the most is that he has gotten word that several American and Asian news organizations have received exclusive information on the Gardner administration's national security policy in the region, particularly on how the United States would handle a major confrontation with China. Gardner just glares at Benash as the Vietnamese President unloads all this. The Vietnamese leader is especially concerned on what the report has to say about how the U.S. will treat Vietnam during this hypothetical scenario. Gardner apologizes that such confidential information had to come out, but the Vietnamese President is more insulted that Gardner lied to him earlier today, believing that Benash was never removed from the loop and has been leaking these stories all day. Gardner is silent, which only serves to confirm the Vietnamese President's suspicions. The Vietnamese President breaks this awkward silence by bitterly informing Gardner that he will be withdrawing his delegation from the APEC summit in response to the President's deceit. Gardner is deflated and pleads with the Vietnamese President to reconsider. But the Vietnamese leader argues that if he can't trust Gardner on this matter, how should he - or anyone - expect to trust him during negotiations. He will make his announcement in the morning. The Vietnamese President then abruptly hangs up. Gardner looks up at both Audrey and Benash in distress, but Benash is yet again shamelessly jotting down notes on his pad and smiling gleefully. The President pleads with Benash to hold back, but Benash just briskly flashes a toothy grin. "I'm just doing my job," he says before waltzing out of the room.

12:36 A.M.  
The campers bring Jack, John, and Chloe to their campsite, located in a small clearing near a dirt road. Jack and Chloe are roughly shoved to the ground as the male camper lowers the unconscious John from his shoulder and places him next to the fire. One of the campers is on the radio asking someone if he can find any record of a "John Franklin." Jack glances around nervously, not sure what to do.

-Commercial Break-

12:41 A.M.  
Huang and Lin are walking along the dirt road when the convoy of humvees pulls up behind them. Huang urgently jumps in one of them, and orders them to proceed quickly to the crash site. Lin climbs in after him, and they speed off down the road.

12:42 A.M.  
Watching the television in the President's office, Audrey shakes her head and twists her lip as a reporter announces the breaking news that Vietnam will be withdrawing from the APEC summit. All Gardner can do is nervously tap on his desk, looking at his phone. He knows a call from the Chinese President is imminent and, choking back the venom, politely asks Audrey to bring Benash back to his office.

12:43 A.M.  
Jack and Chloe anxiously look on as the campers converse among themselves. Chloe quietly tells Jack that they need to think of something if they want to get out of this situation before they wind up back in Chinese custody. But Jack is just looking at the ground, an odd, distant look on his face. Concerned, Chloe asks Jack if he's all right. "No," he answers. Jack admits to Chloe that over the last two years, he had grown to believe that he had been abandoned by everyone - everyone he worked for, cared for, and thanks her for never stopping caring about him. Chloe tenderly reminds Jack that Audrey never stopped caring about him as well. Jack smiles at that, but not even the mention of Audrey can lift his spirits. "I've hit bottom," Jack uneasily confesses, informing Chloe that he's not sure how much more of this he can take. Chloe goes to rub Jack's shoulder in support, but a harsh look from the camper watching them stops her.

12:45 A.M.  
Benash smugly glances at both Gardner and Audrey, trying in vain to make eye contact, as they all wait awkwardly in silence for the expected phone call from President Bao. Sure enough, the phone rings and when Gardner answers it, he's informed he has an urgent call from the Chinese President. Sighing, he takes it. "Let's just get this over with," he exhales, staring harshly at Benash. Bao comes on the line, and is furious with Gardner for this snafu. He had been hoping to get a few hours of sleep before the summit later today. Gardner apologizes and tries to explain himself, but Bao is too frustrated to hear any of it. While he could understand the Vietnamese President deciding not to attend after his traumatic kidnapping earlier in the day and due to the terrorist threat, the story is that he is withdrawing his entire delegation and that he is doing so because of a major dispute he has had with Gardner. Bao reminds Gardner that Vietnam is a critical ally of China, and that he and the United States will pay dearly for screwing up what was supposed to be a crowning moment for the People's Republic of China. Gardner reiterates that he's sorry for everything that has gone wrong today, from the fabricated story about the chopper to the shooting death of a Chinese courthouse guard, but is confident that the summit will still be a huge success not only for China, but for economic and diplomatic cooperation around the world. Bao, however, believes that that is no longer possible and warns Gardner that his actions over the next few hours and days will decide whether the U.S. and China have any kind of amicable relationship in their future. Gardner stutters for a moment before asserting that it is critical for world security to have their two countries to co-exist harmoniously, but Bao reminds Gardner that the Chinese are the creditors to a great deal of the American national debt and that he can make it very difficult for the United States financially and economically. Gardner cautions Bao not to go there, and that he too can make it difficult for China. Bao scoffs at this suggestion, knowing just how little influence the U.S. has left over China. Gardner does not respond to that, and instead promises to personally regain Bao and the Chinese's trust. Teeing off of that, Bao demands to know just what disagreement prompted the Vietnamese President to withdraw. Gardner begins to explain, but looks up at the gleeful Benash on the couch, once again quickly jotting things down on his pad, with a cringingly wide smile on his face, and hesitates. After an awkward pause, Gardner resignedly tells Bao that it is between him and the Vietnamese President. "As I suspected," Bao says, advising Gardner once again to proceed carefully. The Chinese economy will soon surpass America's, so they can afford a strained relationship much more than the United States. Bao tersely says that he'll see him at the summit in a few hours and hangs up. Gardner just shakes his head, and irritably asks Benash if he has any loyalty to his country. Benash cheerfully finishes taking notes and answers that of course he does, but he has to think of himself. Winking at Audrey and the President, Benash jumps up off the couch and whisks himself out the door. Audrey sits down on the couch deep in thought, as Gardner buries his hands in his face.

12:48 A.M.  
The campers listen intently as a Mandarin voice speaks over the radio. Composing himself, Jack whispers to Chloe that they need to make a move right now. John's facade cannot hold up for much longer. Chloe agrees. Jack orders her to follow his lead. Surreptitiously eyeing the male camper guarding them, who is somewhat preoccupied with listening to the radio, Jack tells Chloe to stay right behind him and to grab that man's shotgun once he makes his move. Chloe nods; scared but ready to do this. Jack quietly counts to three, then springs from the ground and, before the campers can react, wraps his arm around the man's neck in a chokehold. Chloe meanwhile pulls the shotgun from his hands, and aims it at the stunned campers. As the male camper loses consciousness, Jack shouts to the campers that if they want to survive the night, they're going to have to do everything he says. He orders them to place all their shotguns on the ground and to put their hands up. The campers have no choice but to acquiesce.

12:49 A.M.  
Huang is riding along in his humvee when he gets a call over the radio about a group of campers claiming that they have found two Western fugitives that were supposedly being transported to Beijing by a Western Chinese citizen named "John Franklin." Huang knows this is who he's looking for, and orders his men to proceed to the campers' stated location immediately.

-Commercial Break-

12:53 A.M.  
Chloe continues to aim the shotgun at the captive campers as Jack goes through their first aid kit, trying anything he can find to revive John. But nothing works, and Jack becomes frustrated. The lead female camper asks Jack and Chloe how long they are going to keep them detained. Jack doesn't know and orders them to be patient. The other male camper says that they won't report them or let the authorities know anything if they just let them go. Jack screams at them to be quiet, trying to concentrate. Chloe nervously steadies the shotgun, and quietly asks Jack what their next move should be. Rubbing his hand through his beard, Jack answers that he's not sure. He has no idea where they are, they're on the run, and John needs medical attention. At a lost, Jack begins to go through the campers' personal belongings.

12:54 A.M.  
President Gardner asks Audrey to get her team together sometime in the future to figure out how national security would be affected if their relationship with China should continue to further decline. As Audrey agrees, they are interrupted by Nadia, who informs them that the reporters in the press corps have all woken up due to the news of the Vietnamese withdrawal. And they want some kind of statement as soon as possible. Gardner tells her that that'll be forthcoming. Nadia leaves to update the press. Sighing, the President tells Audrey that he should probably hold a press conference. It is noon back in D.C. after all. Audrey silently nods her head, hating the corner they've been forced into, but knowing this is the right call. "I guess Abe will have to wake up after all," Gardner sighs as he picks up the phone. He calls Springer, but the phone just rings endlessly in the empty and darkened office before it goes to voicemail. Gardner is deflated as he hangs up the phone. Either Springer's in a deep sleep or he's avoiding him. Audrey reiterates her serious concern, but the President doesn't want to hear it. Disheartened, Gardner expresses his fear that his relationship with Springer has been irreparably damaged by the events of the last few hours. Audrey is respectfully silent, and dismisses herself to let the President muse.

12:56 A.M.  
Outside Gardner's office, Audrey collects herself and then marches down to the hallway outside the press corps and spots Benash on his satellite phone, leaking the details of Gardner and Bao's argument a few minutes ago. She goes up to him and interrupts his conversation, demanding to know if he has any idea what he has done to the United States and its diplomatic standing around the world, or even cares. Benash rudely ignores her at first, carrying on with his contact, but Audrey grabs the phone from him. "Hmmm, that reminds me of something," Benash taunts. Audrey readily admits that she was part of that scheme, and thus knows that Benash was lying to the President about finding the phone in his seat. He got it back from Springer, somehow. Benash shifts uneasily, but holds his chin up and admits that, yes, he did lie to Gardner. Jabbing the phone at his chest, Audrey demands to know where Springer really is, but Benash sticks by his story. Audrey stares him down, but Benash doesn't blink, teasing Audrey to give him back his phone. Audrey hands it back, darkly warning him that she'll be watching him. "What is your agenda?" she asks. "Just who are you?" Benash just smiles, and turns around to head back to the press section.

12:58 A.M.  
Jack puts a wet cloth to John's forehead. He then continues to rummage through one of the campers' bags. Clutching the rifle, Chloe tells Jack that they really should try to warn the Chinese authorities of the threat against the summit; it's why they've gone through all of this for the last several hours. Jack doesn't want to risk discovery, never mind that they'll never be believed. Chloe counters that it's worth it just getting the information out there. Jack concedes that's she's right, but as he walks over to fetch the radio, Huang's humvees come screaming into the campsite and ambush them. Everyone ducks for cover as the gunfire rips through the woods. Grabbing a shotgun, Jack screams at the campers to retrieve their guns and defend themselves. They do, but they're taken down by Huang and his gunmen. Amidst the chaos, Chloe's shotgun is blown apart by the gunfire, and sends her to the ground by the explosion. But Jack is busy dragging John to relative safety behind a rock formation to respond immediately, and men jump down from the advancing humvees and grab her. She starts kicking and screaming, struggling to get free, but to no avail. Jack is blocked by other men who are approaching his position. He blows them away with his shotgun, but by the time they're down, Chloe is already being pushed into a humvee. Jack furiously fires at the humvees and the other gunmen, and Huang orders his men to retreat. The humvee carrying Chloe pulls out and speeds away, with the rest of the convoy in tow. Jack desperately runs out onto the dirt road, firing his shotgun at the humvees repeatedly until it goes empty. But he can't catch up. Jack cries out Chloe's name as he watches the convoy disappear into the night. 


	9. 1:00 AM  2:00 AM

1:00 A.M. - 2:00 A.M.

1:00 A.M.  
Jack urgently moves through the besieged campsite, checking all the bloodied bodies on the ground. But none of them, campers and hostiles included, survived the assault. He goes over to John, who was startled awake by all the commotion but is still very woozy and weak. He feebly asks Jack what the hell happened. Jack explains that Huang attacked them, the campers were killed, and Chloe was captured. John is horrified and tries to lift himself up off the ground, but doesn't have the strength. He winces as he slowly leans back to the dirt. Jack kindly pats John on the shoulder, knowing that he wants to help, but unfortunately, he's just not up to the task. Snapping to action, Jack picks up two shotguns off the ground, checks to see that they're still loaded, and hands one to John for protection. He's going after Chloe. John insists that he's okay enough to assist Jack, but Jack strongly demands that he, for his own stake, stay where he is. John reluctantly agrees and wishes Jack luck. Jack nods and runs off down the road, following the tracks the humvees have left in the dirt.

1:04 A.M.  
Audrey, infuriated, storms down the hallway to Springer's office. Refusing to believe Benash for a second, she starts banging on his locked door, yelling at him to wake up, much to the bemusement of Secret Service agents and others down the corridor. Getting absolutely no response, Audrey exasperatingly tries the knob over and over again, but to no avail. Frustrated, Audrey flings up her arms and exclaims that Springer better not be in there, or else he'll have worried the President and her for nothing.

1:05 A.M.  
Gardner sits in his chair, looking out at the night sky, pensive. Benash strides in, unannounced, arrogantly demanding to know why he's just finding out now that there will be a presidential press conference within the half-hour addressing the Vietnamese withdrawal. Gardner doesn't even acknowledge his presence, but Benash presses the issue, even brazenly tapping the President on the shoulder, forcing him to turn around. Gardner looks at Benash with utter contempt, rejoining that it was a spontaneous decision and that he's the President, not Benash. "But I know you think you are," he murmurs. Benash reminds Gardner of the terrorist threat, and the imperative need for him to be in the loop. "Then stand next to me the whole damn time!" Gardner exclaims. Benash is taken aback. The President tells Benash to just deal with it; he'll get enough of his precious head start on the statement. Benash scoffs that of course he's dealing with it. Gardner just sighs at Benash's rudeness and summons Nadia and the communications staff over the phone. Benash whistles blissfully as he takes a seat on the couch. Gardner leans back in his chair, and expresses how sad it is that Benash is what is standing between them and a terrorist attack on the summit.

1:07 A.M.  
As the humvee drives down the road, Lin tells Huang that he's worried that they were unable to capture Jack and John during the assault, but Huang is not concerned. They will soon have Jack and John back in their custody. Huang leans over to Chloe, who is sitting next to him tied up, and sinisterly caresses the bangs of her hair. Chloe shifts away and begs Huang to let her go. Huang just smiles. Chloe pleads desperately with Huang to just leave them alone. All they're trying to do is get to Mongolia to warn everyone of an impending terrorist attack on the APEC summit. "I know," Huang says. "I'm the one planning it."

-Commercial Break-

1:12 A.M.  
Wincing in pain, Jack runs down the dirt road in pursuit of Chloe.

1:13 A.M.  
President Gardner converses with Audrey, Nadia, and the rest of the communications team about the upcoming press conference, as Benash yet again diligently takes notes. Gardner is still confident that this summit will be a success even without Vietnam's participation and everything else that has happened today, and knows he must convey that conviction to the press corps. Audrey crossly glances over at Benash, who is eating this up. Nadia asks the President when Springer will be joining them. Gardner uncomfortably answers that he won't, and gives her a look of steel. Nadia gets the hint. Gardner gets back to the matter at hand. As the President addresses the increasing animosity between the U.S. and China, Audrey glares at Benash, not taking her eyes off of him.

1:15 A.M.  
Huang's convoy of humvees pulls up at the factory. Huang and Lin climb out of their vehicle, and one of Huang's men informs him that they've successfully disabled the building's security system and have already prepped it for him and the prisoner. Huang orders his driver to bring Chloe into the factory. Chloe resists when the driver tries to pull her out, and Huang has one of his men bash the end of his rifle into her stomach. As she screams and recoils in pain, Huang violently grabs her by the hair and shoves her to the ground. He laughs, and orders his men to take the "bitch" inside.

1:16 A.M.  
As a dazed Chloe is lifted up off the ground and walked into the building, Huang asks their greeter how secure this location really is. The man assures Huang that they've been careful. Lin reminds Huang that if anyone does notice their presence, they can always assert "jurisdictional authority." Huang snaps that of course he knows that, but this attack is going down in the next several hours. They cannot afford any suspicion. With their operation in mind, Huang orders Lin to contact a man named Geng and put him into position. Huang authoritatively enters the building with Lin and his other men. The moonlight casts an eerie blue glow in the sparse, unlit factory. Huang looks around the surroundings and then begins barking orders.

1:17 A.M.  
Gardner finishes reading the statement that his communications staff has written and hands it to Nadia to disperse to the press corps immediately. He instructs everyone to be in the press room in ten minutes and dismisses them. As Benash and the staff gather their things and file out, Nadia pulls Audrey aside and demands to know just why Benash is being allowed in all the President's meetings. Ever since she urgently summoned him over seven hours ago, they've done nothing but battle leak after leak. She can piece it together. Audrey irritably berates her for going around the President's back and informs her that Gardner will let her know of his reasoning whenever he's damn ready. "Just do your job," Audrey warns. Nadia counters that she's not the only one who's figured it out; rumor is spreading fast in the press and it's her job to handle them and any situation that arises. Audrey coolly advises Nadia to never disrespect the National Security Advisor again and dismisses her. Twisting her lip, Nadia marches off. Audrey stressfully leans back and softly bangs her head against the cabin head. Down the hall, Benash sees this and, smirking, takes out his satellite phone to call his contacts.

1:19 A.M.  
Chloe lies tied-up on the floor of an office in the factory. She nervously looks around, terrified. She is startled when Huang bursts into the room. Huang tells her to calm down. All he needs her to do is answer a few questions. Chloe refuses, countering that it is Huang that needs to answer for himself. She demands to know why a Chinese prison commander is planning an attack on his own government. "I don't need to explain myself to you," Huang sneers. He asks Chloe why she called him earlier that afternoon requesting permission to visit his prison to see Jack Bauer and how much she knew about John Hansen at the time. Chloe insists that her call was genuine and that the timing was simply coincidental. She had never heard of John's name until she met him tonight. Huang calls her a liar and kicks her in the stomach. As Chloe shouts out in pain, Huang ominously looms over and orders her to tell the truth. Chloe swears that she is. Huang warns her that neither the Chinese nor the Americans can stop what is going to happen. He would like to keep her as a hostage for future use, but that's up to her. Chloe starts to cry, sobbing that she doesn't know anything. Huang keenly observes the distraught Chloe for a moment, and then announces that he believes her. He admits that he was the one that probably jumped to conclusions earlier and that she has nothing new to tell him. Sniffling, Chloe thanks him.

1:21 A.M.  
Huang leans down and kisses Chloe on her forehead. "What are you doing?" Chloe asks, confused and repulsed. Huang doesn't say anything as he sits down next to her and starts caressing her hair again. Chloe tries to slide away, but is blocked by the office's desk. She desperately asks again what Huang is doing, but gets no response. Huang unties the rope around Chloe's hands and proceeds to lie next to her, kissing her neck while rubbing her back. Chloe roughly shoves him back. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Chloe exclaims. "Just thinking we could have some fun during your stay," Huang creepily replies, unbuttoning Chloe's suit. Panicked, Chloe tries to scramble to her feet to get away, but Huang grabs her shoulders and slams her to the ground. Chloe desperately screams for help, but to no avail; all the guards outside the room don't even acknowledge anything. Huang violently flips Chloe over and pins her to the floor. Crying, she begs him to stop, but Huang resumes unbuttoning her suit. "Don't fight it, bitch," Huang sadistically whispers. "You're going to like this." Huang rips open her suit and begins kissing her neck. Chloe helplessly looks up at the ceiling.

-Commercial Break-

1:27 A.M.  
Jack jogs down the dirt road. He spots the factory in the distance, surrounded by all the humvees, and dives into the woods and behind a tree for cover. Panting heavily, he cocks his shotgun and begins to slowly approach the building from the forest.

1:28 A.M.  
The press corps, including Benash, assembles for the President's news conference in the press section of the plane. Waiting behind the curtain, Gardner goes through his statement one last time with Audrey, Duluth, and Nadia. Sensing the anticipation from the reporters, Gardner remarks that this trip was supposed to be used to get them all used to China time. Audrey tenderly pats the President's shoulder and asks Nadia and Duluth if she could have a word with Gardner privately. They agree. Nadia leaves to make sure that the live uplink back to the States is working properly, and Duluth goes back to his seat. Alone with Gardner, Audrey once again urgently shares her concern about Springer. Still peeved at Springer's perceived rejection of him, Gardner tells Audrey to drop it, but she refuses, knowing that something is seriously wrong. The President tries to get back to his statement, but Audrey preserves in sharing her deep distrust of Benash. She tells Gardner that she has noticed certain curious things about Benash's behavior over the past seven hours. For one thing, he did not disclose to the press that the dispute between Gardner and the Vietnamese President was over him. Gardner dismisses that as Benash simply protecting himself and his precious access. Audrey counters that the more important thing she has noticed is that despite everything else Benash has released to the press; he has not disclosed the threat to the summit at all. Considering what he's done today, that doesn't make any sense. Gardner speculates that maybe Audrey isn't giving Benash enough credit. Maybe Benash does not want to start a panic. "I can't believe that," Audrey brusquely counters. They are interrupted by Nadia, who tells the President that the press is ready for him. Gardner thanks her and dismisses her. He warns Audrey that he has still not forgotten that she and Springer went behind his back. Gardner reiterates that it was his decision, and his decision alone, to let Benash into the loop to prevent an attack on the APEC summit. Audrey bitterly comments that by the time Benash is done leaking and destroying every diplomatic relationship they have, there'll be no need to worry about any threat to the summit. Gardner twists his lip as he considers this. With a tight smile to Audrey, Gardner walks into the press section.

1:31 A.M.  
Outside the factory, one of Huang's sentries stands guard at the tree line. Jack comes up from behind and snaps his neck. Jack quickly ducks behind a tree as the guard drops to the ground. Once Jack sees that no one has noticed him, he begins to creep up on the front entrance from the side.

1:32 A.M.  
Huang exits the office with a smug smile on his face. He shares a self-satisfied look with a guard and walks away. Inside the room, Chloe has her disheveled clothes back on, but is shaking violently. After several moments to herself, Chloe finally finds the strength to stand up and pace around the office. She looks at the Chinese calendar on the wall with a distant look on her face. Chloe then sits down at the desk and buries her head in her hands, weeping.

1:33 A.M.  
Lin calls in to Huang's sentries as part of normal procedure. All of them report in, except for the one that Jack took out. Lin puts the whole team on high alert, and one of them spots Jack trying to approach the guard at the front entrance. The man opens fire, and Jack immediately dives for cover. He takes out the door guard with his shotgun and rushes in. Huang, Lin, and the other men fire on Jack as he enters, but Jack deftly slides behind a crate and begins taking out some of the men on the upper balcony. Huang is enraged as he watches his men fall and desperately orders in reinforcements from outside. Jack runs out of ammunition and throws his empty shotgun at an approaching hostile. As the man clutches his broken nose, Jack lunges and grabs him by the legs. A bullet meant for Jack hits the man in the arm while Jack is dragging him to safety. Jack is not concerned, instead stripping the hostile of his weapons and checking to see how many bullets are still left. The man spits in Jack's face, panting from the pain of the gunshot. Jack punches the man in the face, and then applies pressure to the wound, demanding to know where the prisoner is. The man says he has no idea, and Jack sticks the barrel of the gun into the bloodied tissue. He eventually cannot take anymore of the pain and tells Jack that the hostage is in the office at the other end of the factory. Jack thanks him and then knocks him out cold with a brutal punch. Jack then swiftly turns around and kills a guard that was hoping to catch him off balance. He takes his gun as well and proceeds to run across the factory, firing on the guards.

1:35 A.M.  
Chloe cowers in the corner of the office, absolutely terrified of the gunfight occurring outside. Jack comes scrambling into the room, and Chloe screams. Jack yells at her that it's all right. Chloe looks at Jack as if she's seeing a ghost and does not respond. With no time, Jack urgently grabs Chloe by her arm and takes her out into the factory. He shields her as he takes out the gunmen advancing on them. With no enemies in the immediate vicinity, Jack orders Chloe to hide behind some nearby rusting girders. Chloe hesitates, and Jack loudly whispers for her to go. Chloe complies as Jack retrieves the weapons from the dead men. He quickly joins Chloe at the hiding spot. Jack notices that Chloe is still shaking and hugs her. He assures her that they are going to get out of here alive. Chloe breaks down, crying uncontrollably into Jack's shoulder. Jack rubs her back comfortingly. "You came for me," Chloe says repeatedly through her tears. Jack is moved.

-Commercial Break-

1:41 A.M.  
Through the girders, Jack keenly watches the movements of Huang and his men as they doggedly search the factory for the missing fugitives. Sniffling, Chloe tells Jack that the situation is far worse than they thought: Huang is the one behind the terrorist threat against the summit. Jack is stunned. Chloe wants to kill the bastard right here, right now, but Jack reminds her that they have no idea just what they're facing here. The only thing they need to be focused on is escaping from Huang and alerting the authorities. Chloe begrudgingly agrees, recommending that they check the bodies of the slain gunmen for a cell phone or any other kind of communication device. Jack concurs, but says that it is far too time-consuming and risky. Their top priority is escaping with their lives. But Chloe doesn't care about the risk, wanting to warn the Chinese government about Huang immediately. To Jack's horror, she abruptly gets up from behind the girders and begins to walk over to the dead bodies. Chloe is almost immediately spotted by Huang's men and they open fire. Jack curses as he shoots back and grabs Chloe. The gunfight resumes. Jack and Chloe take up position behind two beams in the corner of the factory, but Jack quickly realizes they are pinned in. It won't be long before they're overwhelmed. Chloe apologizes for exposing them, but Jack simply throws her a gun to defend herself. As more of Huang's gunmen join the fray, Jack notices a steam pipe above them. He warns Chloe to cover her eyes and then empties his gun into the pipe. It explodes, sending thick steam into the area. Jack screams at Chloe to go with him, and they run toward the front, firing wildly at the gunmen. With the smokescreen protecting them, Jack and Chloe manage to get to the front area of the factory, where five more men are waiting for them and open fire. Jack and Chloe dive for cover behind some other girders, shooting back.

1:44 A.M.  
Huang is on the upper level of the factory, aiming a sniper rifle at the girders, but unable to get a shot off on either Jack or Chloe. Huang is furious that his men have been unable to contain Jack. Lin informs Huang that the reinforcements should be here soon, but he does not know if they will get here in time. Huang takes out a semi-automatic machine gun and fires feverishly at the girders, but does not hit the fugitives.

1:45 A.M.  
Jack yells to Chloe over the gunfire that if they keep this up any longer, they're going to run of ammunition and be sitting ducks. Jack hands her the rest of the guns he has picked up of off the gunmen and asks her to cover him. Chloe nervously agrees. Jack gives her the signal and Chloe fires rapidly at Huang's men as Jack rolls out and begins picking them off one by one. Jack is about to take down the last man, but his gun clicks empty. He tries to dive back for cover behind the girders, but a bullet from the gunman rips open Jack's right sleeve. Chloe stops firing, fearing Jack has been shot, and the shooter charges their position. But Chloe stands up and shoots the man twice, killing him. She immediately goes to Jack's aid, but he assures her that the only thing damaged was his crappy clothing. The factory is eerily silent for a moment before shots are heard coming from the back. Jack tells Chloe that this is their opportunity; they need to move now. Chloe covers for Jack as they bolt for the front entrance. They manage to get outside, but are met by heavy machine gun fire by Huang's humvees. Jack retrieves a gun from Chloe, and she and Jack fire back as they head for the dirt road, but they are cut off by the arrival of even more humvees. Huang's reinforcements come screaming into the area in front of the factory. Jack and Chloe have nowhere to go. Chloe exclaims that they're out of guns and Jack tells her that they have no choice but to surrender. Lips shaking and holding back tears, Chloe reluctantly raises her arms. Jack screams out to the gunmen that they won.

1:48 A.M.  
Smirking, Huang emerges from the factory and walks over to where Jack and Chloe are standing. Sickeningly satisfied with himself, Huang examines his prisoners. Jack stoically does not make eye contact. Huang creepily winks at Chloe, who breaks down in tears. Still smirking, Huang turns to Jack and scoffs. "You underestimated me, Jack," Huang says. "You may think you're some hero, but you can't beat me." Huang then pistol-whips Jack, sending him to the ground.

-Commercial Break-

1:53 A.M.  
Lin drags the unconscious Jack back into the factory and leaves him next to Chloe, who is terrified of the nearly twenty men surrounding her, all tightly gripping their guns by their sides. Huang leaves a message for someone, asking him to call back as soon as possible. Jack wakes up and tries to get to his feet, but the armed men all cock their weapons. Jack stays down and yells out to Huang, demanding to know what the hell his agenda is. Huang just derisively laughs. Crying, Chloe asks what is going to happen to them. "You're going to see the world change before your very eyes, my dear," Huang answers sinisterly.

1:55 A.M.  
Exhausted, Gardner exits the press section with Nadia and greets Audrey and Duluth. He tells his staff that he feels that while the last twenty minutes were brutal, they should help him get through to the start of the summit. Much to Audrey's revulsion, Benash emerges from behind the curtain and congratulates the President on a job well done, slapping him on the butt. Everyone but Benash cringes. "Don't touch me," Gardner hisses. Benash doesn't even acknowledge Gardner's rebuke and instead blissfully asks the group what's next. Biting back venom, Gardner tells everyone that with Air Force One due to touch down in Beijing in four hours, he thinks he's going to try to get some rest. He asks his team not to disturb him unless it's urgent. The President gives a stern look to Audrey and then walks away. As everyone disperses, Audrey grabs Benash by the arm and warns him that, after all this is over, she will make it her personal mission to ensure that Benash is never respected in media circles ever again. "I hope you're not threatening me," Benash sneers. Audrey says that she is threatening him, knowing that he is lying about Springer's whereabouts. Benash steps forward so that his nose is practically touching Audrey's and, with a straight face, swears that Springer is sleeping in his office, just like Audrey should be doing. Audrey silently glares deep into Benash's eyes, not backing down, and, with a huff, Benash turns and marches away.

1:57 A.M.  
President Gardner is at the door to his office rubbing his forehead in pain when Audrey calls out to him from down the corridor. But Gardner just cheerlessly holds a look with Audrey for a moment before going into his office and locking the door. Scowling, Audrey thinks things over and comes to a decision. She rushes over to the nearest Secret Service agent and urgently alerts him that she believes Springer is missing and that Benash is responsible.

1:58 A.M.  
Huang tells someone on the phone that he has successfully captured Jack and Chloe. The threat to their attack on the APEC summit is almost contained. Presidents Bao and Gardner will be dead by the end of the day, and there is nothing anyone can do to stop them. He orders the caller to stay on schedule. "Yes, sir, I will," Liam Benash answers.

1:59 A.M.  
Suddenly, one of Huang's henchmen is taken out by a headshot. The shooter is John. 


	10. 2:00 AM  3:00 AM

2:00 A.M. - 3:00 A.M.

2:00 A.M.  
Another gunfight has broken out in the factory. Jack and Chloe have taken up position behind the beams on the left side. Near the center, John shoots a sniper on the balcony with his rifle and the man falls to the lower level, dead. John hurries over to him and grabs the man's sniper rifle and pistol. He joins Jack and Chloe and fires on Huang and his men.

2:02 A.M.  
Springer lies lifelessly in the electrical closet where Benash hid him. Springer opens his eyes and regains consciousness. He is very groggy and it takes him several moments to comprehend where he is and remember what happened to him. It all comes rushing back to him and he urgently tries to lift himself up off the floor, but he is still weak. Springer gathers all his strength and manages to get on his feet. He tries to open the closet door, but the lock is jammed. Grunting, Springer bangs the door with his shoulder in an attempt to get it open. It doesn't budge.

2:04 A.M.  
Audrey sits with the ranking Secret Service agent in the security section of Air Force One. She explains to Agent Hollister that she was supposed to meet Springer in his office two hours ago, but when she stopped by, he was not there. Minutes later, the office was darkened and locked. Hollister looks at Audrey skeptically. Audrey insists that this is not just some intra-office squabbling. The pressing matter Springer was going to discuss with her involved national security and Benash. That's why she knows this was not an abrupt decision to stand her up and why she knows that Benash is responsible for Springer's disappearance. But Hollister still needs more evidence before he can order a search of the plane. Frustrated, Audrey puts his hands to her face, groaning. Resting the temple of her nose on her fingers, Audrey contemplates her next move. Finally, she makes her decision. "You HAVE noticed how often Benash has visited the President this flight, right?" Audrey asks. Hollister answers that he has, and Audrey asks him to keep what she is about to say to himself. No one can know until after the summit. Hollister agrees.

2:06 A.M.  
Huang and Lin flee to the upper level as the gunfight rages below them. Huang calls Benash, who had heard the first shots of the battle and wants to know what the hell is going on. Huang tells him that John actually came to them, but has killed a good portion of his men. Benash is annoyed and expresses his concern that John will bring down their entire operation. Huang sternly orders Benash not to worry. He assures him that he'll be able to handle John without a problem. Huang reminds Benash that he is the one vital to carrying out their attack, and that all he needs to be focused on is making sure no one finds out the truth. Benash meekly promises his boss that the drug he gave Springer should knock him out until well after the deed has been done. Huang reiterates that Springer must not be allowed to share anything he found on Benash's phone. Benash agrees. Huang hangs up and, seeing more of his men being taken down, orders Lin to bring him the projector.

2:07 A.M.  
Below, Jack, John, and Chloe continue to successfully fend themselves off from Huang's men. Jack yells to John and Chloe that they need to conserve their bullets. John expresses his surprise to Jack and Chloe that Huang has access to so many men and vehicles. Jack informs John that Huang is the one behind the terrorist threat to the summit. John is flabbergasted. "This is the bastard I've been looking for," John whispers. With a renewed focus, he fires fiercely on Huang's henchmen, killing one of them.

2:08 A.M.  
Audrey tells Agent Hollister that she and Springer were planning to meet to discuss what he had found on Benash's phone when he abruptly disappeared. Benash later got his phone back and admitted to Audrey that he lied to Gardner about finding it in his seat. She believes Benash got to Springer and that something terrible has happened. Hollister finishes writing down his notes and thanks Audrey for sharing. He asks if the President could confirm the terrorist's threat and the necessity to steal Benash's phone. Audrey bites her lip and glances away. Hollister is perplexed, and Audrey shamefully answers that Gardner believes that Springer went to sleep as Benash claimed and is deeply upset that she and Springer went behind his back. He does not want to pursue this matter any further. Hollister nods his head softly, pensive. He tells Audrey that he'll think about this and get back to her soon. Audrey thanks him, but does not leave her seat. Hollister repeats that he'll get back to her, but Audrey says she'll stay here until he has come to a decision. Hollister sighs.

2:09 A.M.  
His frustration building, Springer slams his body into the door, but to no avail. Springer curses Benash and begins pounding on the door with his fist, yelling out that he's been attacked. But no one can hear him in the remote part of the plane.

2:10 A.M.  
The gunfight in the factory calms down as more of Huang's men are killed and run out of ammo. Jack tells John and Chloe that he believes Huang is down to just three men. Chloe fears that there are more outside, lying in wait, but John says that he took out the sentries on his way in. John is more concerned about Huang, who he hasn't seen since the opening moments. Suddenly, Huang's voice blasts over the intercom system. He congratulates John for successfully infiltrating his location and killing many of his men, but assures John that it has not ruined him and his operation to assassinate the APEC leaders. He has more than enough devoted freedom fighters and mercenaries at his disposal to ensure that the attack happens on schedule. Huang orders his remaining men to drop their weapons and slide them across the floor to John's eye line. Jack, John, and Chloe look at each other suspiciously as Huang's henchmen comply. Huang tells John that that he has won this round, but that it will be his downfall. Huang calls out to Lin, and Lin turns on a projector attached to a laptop computer. Live video appears on the factory floor of a woman and young girl tied up and their mouths taped. "I was on to you, Captain John Hansen," Huang says darkly. Huang states that he grew suspicious of John's work for one of his cells and figured out that he was an American spy. So he had John's wife and daughter kidnapped and brought to China. Nauseous, John steps out into the open area, casting a shadow over the video being projected. Jack bangs his head again the beam, reliving his own experience. From the office, Huang gives the go-ahead to someone over the phone and a masked man on the video removes the tape from the woman's mouth. She fearfully tells John that men came into their home with guns and then took her and Jen onto a plane. She has no idea where they are. "Please, don't let them hurt us," she begs. Suddenly, the video cuts out, and John cries out for Emily and Jen. Huang coldly answers that that is up to John. Suddenly, Huang's men stand up from their hidden positions and aim the guns they had not dropped. John, not missing a step, raises his gun and aims at them as well. Huang announces to John that he has a choice to make: continue trying to escape or surrender himself to his men. Once that happens, they will negotiate the terms of his family's release. Gripping his gun, John pants heavily, almost at the point of hyperventilation. Panicked, he looks at Jack and Chloe and then at Lin and the projector. Jack, aiming his gun as well, does not keep his eye off of the henchmen, utterly disgusted with what Huang has done. John closes his eyes in absolute agony, but then turns to Jack and gives him a nod. Jack nods back. Taking a deep breath, John shoots the two men in rapid succession. John runs to the door with Jack and Chloe, exchanging fire with the third man. Jack and Chloe escape to the outside as John kills the final henchman. Huang calmly says over the intercom that he understands John's decision and will give him two hours to turn himself in. If he does not, his wife and daughter will die. The live video of Emily and Jen is projected back on the floor. Huang tells John to meet him in an office in an industrial park a mile down the road if he's serious about saving his family. In anguish, John looks at the video and then looks at Jack and Chloe exchange gunfire with a man as they try to flee into the woods. John agonizingly turns away from the video and shoots the hostile, killing him. He then joins Jack and Chloe as they escape into the forest.

-Commercial Break-

2:18 A.M.  
Agent Hollister puts down his phone and tells Audrey that Springer is still not answering his office phone. Audrey insists that he won't answer it because he's not in there. But Hollister is still not fully convinced that Springer is missing and that a search is necessary. There are plenty of other reasons that could explain why Springer's office is locked and darkened and why the phone is going unanswered. Trying to restrain her annoyance, Audrey tells Hollister that she respects the need to follow protocol, but by the time they finally act, it may be too late. Hollister understands Audrey's fear for her colleague but, without a direct order from the President, he's uncomfortable acting on the unconfirmed speculation of one person. Audrey winces as she considers bringing Gardner into this. Hollister apologizes, but Audrey says that she can get him confirmation, offering Hollister the access codes to her secure White House account, where he'll be able to verify everything that she has said. Hollister accepts.

2:20 A.M.  
Jack, John, and Chloe run quickly through the woods. John calls out to Jack and Chloe that he needs to stop for a moment to catch his breath. Jack and Chloe come to a rest as John leans back against a tree, winded and sweating profusely. Jack thanks John for saving them and says that he is so sorry about what Huang has done. Jack knows exactly what John is going through. Chloe softly asks John what he plans to do. Huang can't be happy John chose to escape and attempt to stop the terrorist attack instead of trying to save his family. Not used to Chloe's sometimes inappropriate bluntness, John slams the tree with the palm of his hand and harshly assures Chloe that he will save his family. "And Huang will pay..." John sneers as he walks past her. John takes off and heads deeper into the forest. Chloe looks down at the ground in shame, upset over what she just said. Jack rubs Chloe's shoulder tenderly, and quietly tells her that they should catch up. Holding back tears, Chloe nods and she and Jack resume their flight.

2:21 A.M.  
Huang and Lin urgently pack up their things at the factory. Lin is concerned about the fugitives' escape and what they could tell the authorities. Huang sternly tells Lin that he shouldn't be. The authorities are already aware about the threat to the summit, per design. John, Jack, and Chloe don't know any more than the people they're trying to warn. Lin rejoins that John knows that they delivered a threat to Gardner nine hours ago but that the attack will be carried out regardless. If Benash is removed from the President's loop, then their whole plan falls apart. Huang punches Lin in the stomach, ordering his subordinate to trust him to handle John.

2:22 A.M.  
Audrey shows Agent Hollister the official, confidential report on the kidnapping of the Vietnamese President and the terrorist's demand that Benash be brought into Gardner's inner circle. Hollister nods his head in deep thought as part of Audrey's story is proven to be true. Audrey explains that she never agreed with the President's decision to actually give in to this demand and that she felt this Vietnamese paramilitary group's apparent desire to handing some American reporter the greatest opportunity of his career was suspicious from the start. She then directs Hollister to the background search that the FBI and CIA complied on Benash, which reports that Benash has had extensive dealings with the extremist group the People's Freedom Coalition, all allegedly for an expos he wrote for the New York Times. Considering everything that's happened today, Audrey cannot believe that Benash is completely innocent in all of this and that Springer is simply sleeping in his office. Hollister leans back in his chair and rests his chin on his hand. After a moment, he decides to check out Springer's office for himself and asks Audrey to come with him.

2:23 A.M.  
Hollister walks out of the security section with Audrey and silently instructs two agents to join them. They authoritatively approach Springer's darkened office and Hollister pounds on the door, asking if Springer is in there. Getting no response, the agent gives a nod to his subordinate and the man kicks open the door. The agents march into the room and quickly determine that Springer is not present. Audrey enters, whatever faint hope she had that Benash was telling the truth rapidly fading away, and sees the agents notice a chair lodged under the knob, with the top attached to the knob by a tie. Eyes widening in horror, Audrey alerts the agents that she recognizes the tie as Benash's, which he claimed he had spilt coffee on. Hollister urgently radios his detail that Springer is missing and orders a sweep of the plane.

2:24 A.M.  
In front of the curtain to the press section, Benash quietly tells Huang over the phone that it was very risky letting John escape with Jack and Chloe. Huang warns Benash not to undermine his authority, explaining that John took out all of his men at the factory. Huang firmly assures Benash that what has happened changes nothing. Their attack will still be successful. Benash notices the increased activity by the Secret Service agents as they search the plane for Springer, and tells Huang that he'll call back once they land. Benash hangs up and brashly asks a passing agent what's going on. The man doesn't even acknowledge Benash as he urgently heads into the press section. Benash gulps and rubs his suddenly sweaty palms in concern.

2:25 A.M.  
Springer continues to pound the closet door and yell out for help. Still getting no answer, Springer viciously slams into the door with the full strength of his body, but it refuses to budge. His anger at a climax, Springer backs up in the cramped space and launches himself at the door. This time, finally, the door bursts open, and Springer tumbles out into the corridor and onto the floor. Two Secret Service agents turn a corner and come upon Springer as he is feebly sitting up. They immediately go to check on his condition. One of the agents alerts the others that they have found Springer.

-Commercial Break-

2:30 A.M.  
Surrounded by Secret Service agents, Springer sits on a bench by the plane windows drinking a cup of water. Hollister approaches with Audrey and she is relieved to see Springer alive and well. Audrey runs up to Springer and hugs him, saying that she was so worried about him. One of the agents respectfully asks Audrey to give them some space. Audrey steps back as Hollister tells his subordinates that he and Audrey will take it from here. They leave, and the ranking agent tells Springer that Audrey told him about Benash's involvement in the terrorist threat, his leaks, and their plan to steal his phone. Now he needs to know just why Springer was lying on the floor outside of an electrical closet. Glancing at Audrey, Springer admits that what she said is true and that he was hiding the phone in the closet, but, biting his lip and looking embarrassed, claims that he has been drinking all flight, deeply stressed over all the political damage Benash has inflicted on the administration, and that he simply passed out in the closet. He gives a stern look to Audrey, urging her not to challenge the story. Springer asks the agent if they found a satellite phone in the closet. Hollister says they did not and that Audrey claims Benash somehow got it back from him. Springer assumes that Benash found him there and took back his phone. Hollister tells Springer that they found his office chair attached to his doorknob with a tie that Audrey claims is Benash's. Not missing a beat, Springer claims that he blacked out from the alcohol after his last conversation with Audrey and must have done it himself in his stupor. Springer apologizes to Audrey and Hollister for his deplorable drunken behavior and needlessly worrying them. The agent looks at Springer in utter bewilderment, and suspiciously asks Audrey if she forgot to mention seeing Springer drinking during their interactions today. Springer stares her down, and Audrey has no choice but to say that she did forget and apologize. With a straight face, Springer assures Hollister that everything's all right now and that they don't need to wake the President. Hollister tries his best to hold in his venom as he tells Springer and Audrey that he understands and that he'll be in the security section if they need him. He leaves. When the man is out of their earshot, Audrey irately asks Springer what the hell is going on. She knows he has been sober all flight. Springer softly tells Audrey that he'll explain everything. He asks her to meet him in his office in a few minutes.

2:33 A.M.  
As they run, Jack, John, and Chloe come upon a darkened cabin in the middle of the woods. They all slow to a stop, wary of who may be in there. Jack says that he will check it out. Aiming his gun, Jack carefully approaches the cabin and enters. John and Chloe are nervous as they wait. Jack emerges soon after and happily announces that the cabin is abandoned. Chloe wants to keep moving, but Jack counters that they're all exhausted and should use the cabin as a shelter to regroup and plan their next move. On edge, Chloe is worried that Huang is pursuing them, but John assures her that Huang is down to just one man for the moment and that even if he did manage to track them down, they'd be in a much better position to fend off an attack from the cabin. Chloe understands, and she and John walk into the building with Jack. The one-room cabin appears to not have been visited by another human being in many years and cobwebs have taken over. As Jack tries to find anything in the cabin that could help them, Chloe apologizes to John for her rudeness earlier. Holding back tears, Chloe says she can't imagine how terrible it must have been for John to choose between trying to save her and Jack, or trying to save his wife and daughter. John accepts Chloe's apology, kindly patting her shoulder, explaining that as much as it makes him sick to his stomach, it wasn't really a choice. "I have a sworn duty to protect my country," John says. Despite all his misgivings, he had to put the life of the President ahead of Emily and Jen. John is lucky, though, that after Jack and Chloe managed to get out of the factory, Huang announced that John had two hours to report to an office in an industrial park down the road from the factory to negotiate for their release. While John doesn't trust Huang at all, at least he has a chance to save them. John breaks down in tears as he regrets ever putting their lives in danger with his line of work. Jack comes over to join Chloe in comforting him. Jack assures John that what Huang did was not his fault at all. John whimpers that it is his fault; they would be safe at home if he had chosen another career. Jack looks away, having no answer to that.

2:36 A.M.  
Looking around cautiously, Springer approaches his office and opens the door. Audrey is already there waiting for him, and demands to know why he lied to Secret Service. Springer tells Audrey to keep her voice down and enters the room, carefully shutting the door behind him. Audrey asks again what the hell is going on and Springer answers that Benash attacked him in that electrical closet. Seething, Springer explains that during their struggle, Benash injected a syringe with some chemical into his chest. "I'm lucky that son of a bitch didn't kill me," Springer sneers. Audrey is horrified. Springer doesn't know how Benash managed to smuggle that dangerous drug onto Air Force One, but he's now surer than ever before that Benash is involved with these terrorists. And he and Audrey cannot trust anyone else onboard, not even Secret Service. It's possible one of them helped Benash sneak that syringe onto the plane. Springer says that the two of them will have to handle this on their own and bring whatever evidence they find to the President himself. Audrey agrees and asks Springer what he managed to find on Benash's phone before he was assaulted. Springer says that while Benash took the notepad he was writing the numbers on, he does remember that most of them were legitimate and had valid codes for both the United States and China, but one number Benash has called many times over the last twelve hours was blocked. That only serves to reaffirm Springer's staunch belief that Benash is in contact with the terrorists threatening the summit. Springer asserts that they need to find out who Benash has been talking to and as soon as possible. Audrey realizes that Springer wants to steal Benash's phone again. She warns Springer that Benash has been keeping the phone on him since he got it back. It's going to be impossible to take it again without Benash knowing. But Springer doesn't care, saying that there is no time for subterfuge. They need to openly engage Benash.

-Commercial Break-

2:42 A.M.  
Jack vigilantly looks out the window of the abandoned cabin. Chloe comes up from behind and hugs him. She thanks Jack again for saving her life, expressing that he has no idea how much it means to her. Jack turns around and tells Chloe that she never needed to worry about him not coming for her. He would do anything to protect his friends. Lip shaking, Chloe breaks away from Jack's eye contact and looks into the distance. Concerned, Jack asks Chloe what's wrong, but gets no response. Before Jack can press the matter further, John approaches them. Jack asks how John is feeling. John answers that it's been a long day and it's only going to get tougher, but that he is feeling better than he did a few minutes ago. Jack tightly nods his head, expressing once again how sorry he is about Emily and Jen. John thanks him, and informs Jack and Chloe that he has decided to go to that industrial park and surrender himself to Huang. He can only hope that Huang will hold to his end of the offer and keep his family alive for the next two hours. Jack understands John's decision, and assures him that he and Chloe will find a way to alert the authorities about the threat to the APEC summit and the fact that they cannot underestimate Huang. John thanks Jack for that, relieved that he will not be abandoning the safety of the summit and the President by making the choice to save his family. Jack promises that the personal trauma John has had to endure for his mission will be not in vain. John extends his hand, and Jack shakes it. John thanks Jack from the bottom of his heart for saving his life and getting him out of that prison. Jack thanks John for rescuing them from the factory. John smiles, and looks to Chloe, who is sitting in an old wooden chair, and thanks her for her resourcefulness and for getting them closer to Mongolia. But Chloe continues to stare into space and does not acknowledge John. Jack calls out Chloe's name, and she snaps back to reality. John reiterates his gratitude, and Chloe mechanically thanks John in return. John knows that it's been a horrible evening for all of them, and apologizes to Chloe for everything that has happened to her. Chloe says nothing, despondent. John sighs in distress over Chloe, but turns to Jack and tells him that it's been an honor working with him today. Jack replies that he is grateful he got the chance to meet him. John nods his head, humbled, and he walks toward the cabin door. "Good luck," Jack says before John can leave. John smiles at Jack for the final time and then heads out into the wilderness.

2:45 A.M.  
Benash sits in his seat in the press section as the rest of the press corps tries to catch some rest before the summit. He nervously taps his phone, constantly looking over his shoulder at the curtain. Finally, unable to take it anymore, Benash jumps out of his seat and walks out of the section. He finds the nearest Secret Service agent and abruptly asks him what's going on. The man looks at Benash with an odd look and asks him to return to his seat. But Benash persists, saying that he noticed a flurry of activity from the agents earlier and that he wants to know what the situation is. The agent exasperatedly tells Benash that that is confidential information and asks him again to return to his seat. Benash feigns panic that there is a problem with the plane, maybe even a terrorist threat, and that Secret Service is irresponsibly hiding it from the press. Deeply annoyed, the agent snaps that the situation has passed and that if Benash doesn't stop bothering him, he'll carry him back to his seat. Without even acknowledging the agent's threat, Benash turns around and struts back to his seat, relieved and smirking.

2:46 A.M.  
Audrey continues to refuse to help Springer with his plan to steal Benash's phone. But Springer insists that her help is the only way to make this work. Springer knows that if he's the one that approaches Benash, he'll know right away that he managed to escape from the closet and their aim of isolating Benash falls through. Audrey is the only one who can do this. Audrey concedes that she would not make Benash suspicious, but cautions Springer that once they do this, they will not be able to hide behind any veil of plausible deniability. If they cannot find the evidence against Benash, their careers will be over. Springer resolutely declares that this is worth losing his job for. Benash is a traitor that has to be stopped at all costs. Springer reminds Audrey that she stood up to Logan and asks if she's willing to make another principled stand. Audrey mulls this over, and then says that she will do it.

2:47 A.M.  
Jack leans down next to Chloe and rubs her back caringly. He tells her that he is thinking about going outside and checking the moss to see which way is north. After that, they should leave and find the nearest road to the nearest town in order to anonymously report John's warning to the authorities. If they're able to get across the border to Mongolia in time, they should be able to provide a clearer picture to the authorities without fear of being captured and sent to a Chinese prison. Chloe asks in a near robotic tone what will happen to Huang. Jack says that hopefully the Chinese will be able to find him and arrest him for his crimes. This answer does not satisfy Chloe and she hastily gets up out of the chair. She fretfully paces around the room. Jack worriedly asks again what's wrong, and Chloe unconvincingly exclaims that nothing is. Jack goes over and gently touches Chloe's arm, but she jumps back in fright. He pleads with her that she can share anything with him. They've been through a lot together, this evening and over the years. Jack knows just how painful it can be. Her whole body shaking, Chloe whispers that it's only gotten worse. Jack closes his eyes in anguish as he says that he knows it has. Morris is in custody, they're fugitives on the run, and John's family is being held hostage. Jack swears that he's feeling it too, and that she shouldn't feel the need to hold it all in. It's completely healthy to be open with friends and talk about what just what you're going through. But Chloe, weeping, shakes her head and turns away, looking out the window. Jack admits that he feels personally responsible for all the horrors she has had to endure over the last three years, from Andrew Paige's injuries to the deaths of Palmer, Michelle, Tony, and Edgar...to tonight. Jack knows none of them would have happened if not for him, and he apologizes profusely for everything he has put her through. Her defenses breaking down, Chloe turns around and looks sorrowfully at Jack, knowing that he is putting way too much blame on himself. Crying, Chloe goes to Jack and hugs him. She mutters that what has happened to her is not Jack's fault at all. Jack says that he hates it, but that's how he honestly feels. Tears falling, Chloe insists that he shouldn't. "You didn't rape me, Jack," Chloe sobs. "Huang did." Jack is devastated and lowers his head in agony. As they continue to hug each other in comfort, Jack wipes a tear from his eye.

-Commercial Break-

2:54 A.M.  
Audrey walks with purpose to the press section. She gets to the curtain and, taking a deep breath, steps in and approaches Benash, who is going over his notes. Benash looks up at Audrey with a smug smile on his face. Holding back her distaste, Audrey tells Benash that the President has woken up and wants to see him. Beaming, Benash puts his notepad in his suit and enthusiastically gets up out of his seat to follow Audrey out of the press section. As they walk, Benash condescendingly observes that Audrey has calmed down from worrying about Springer's location. Audrey claims that she's still upset over that, but that it's no longer worth wasting her energy. Benash is confused when Audrey stops in front of Springer's office. He notices that the office is no longer darkened. Audrey says that Gardner is waiting for him inside. Benash is alarmed, but before he can do anything, Audrey opens the door and gently leads him inside. Biting his lip, Benash asks where the President is. Suddenly, he is knocked out by a punch from Springer. Audrey catches him before he can hit the floor and lays him down on his back. Springer instructs Audrey to close the door as he leans down and goes through the pockets of Benash's suit. He finds the satellite phone.

2:56 A.M.  
Jack and Chloe sit on the floor of the darkened cabin. Chloe weeps that Huang violated her and needs to face justice for what he's done. Jack compassionately assures her that Huang will be given the death sentence by the Chinese government for his treasonous activity. But Chloe sniffles that Huang will not be charged with rape unless she comes forward, but she can't because she'd be imprisoned for the death of that courthouse guard. Chloe breaks down in tears, distraught that Huang will get away with hurting her like this. All Jack can do is reach over and pat her shoulder, promising Chloe that everything will work out. Chloe recoils from Jack's contact and leaps up away from him, screaming that it will not. Huang is a monster and instead of killing him, they're letting him live in the faint hope that the Chinese will be able to stop him. John is actually going to surrender himself to beg for his family. Standing up, Jack implores Chloe to calm down, reminding her that John has no choice. But Chloe knows that Huang can't be trusted, and John shouldn't trust Huang to do anything he says he will. Jack concedes her point, but expresses that John at least has to try. Jack says he'd be doing the same thing. Chloe shrieks that the "old Jack" would've already killed an evil terrorist like Huang, snidely wondering what two years of Chinese captivity has done to Jack. Offended, Jack explains that he is only trying to protect her, John, and John's family. Chloe yells that Jack couldn't protect her from being raped by Huang. Jack tries to comfort her, but Chloe pushes him away. Deeply upset, Jack apologizes for what has happened, but Chloe tells Jack to shut up. Chloe questions whether Jack knew all along that Huang was a terrorist planning an attack against the summit and developed Stockholm syndrome toward his captor. Jack strongly denies her accusation. But Chloe speculates that Jack's supposed sympathy for the terrorist cause is why he refused to search Huang's dead henchmen for phones in order to alert the authorities and why he didn't accompany John to the industrial park to confront Huang. Jack insists that they didn't have time to search the bodies for phones and that he can't endanger his life or Chloe's anymore, not with the lives of so many world leaders in the balance; they need to get across the border as soon as possible. But Chloe screams that they need to kill Huang now, when they know exactly where he is. Chloe calls Jack a coward, believing that had Jack gone with John, the two of them could've threatened Huang to give up Emily and Jen and then killed him, ending the threat once and for all. Losing patience, Jack exclaims that Huang would probably kill Emily and Jen on the spot if John doesn't show up alone, never mind that killing Huang might not stop the attack at all. "I knew it! You're defending him!" Chloe screeches. "You're just as bad as Huang!" Jack tries to comfort her again, but instead Chloe punches him in the groin, sending him to the floor in pain. She takes Jack's gun off of a table and rushes out of the cabin. Grunting in pain, Jack crawls over to the window and looks out. He cries for Chloe to stop as he watches her vanish into the darkness. 


	11. 3:00 AM  4:00 AM

3:00 A.M. - 4:00 A.M.

3:00 A.M.  
Still in pain, Jack urgently goes through the purse that Chloe left behind. But all the guns in there are empty. Sighing, Jack hobbles over to the cabin door and heads outside. He tries to get a running start, but his groin still hurts. Frustrated, Jack gathers his strength and then begins to jog after Chloe.

3:02 A.M.  
With a dark look on her face, Chloe runs through the woods with resolve.

3:03 A.M.  
Audrey checks on Benash's condition as he lies unconscious on the floor. She tells Springer that Benash is still out cold. Springer shows Audrey the list of recent calls on Benash's phone, explaining that most of them appear to be legitimate except for that one blocked number that Benash has dialed multiple times over the last twelve hours. He sees that Benash last called this individual forty minutes ago. Audrey says that that is still not proof of terrorist involvement, but Springer assures her that they will find it. Springer urgently picks up the office and asks to speak with the director of CTU Washington.

3:04 A.M.  
Huang and Lin walk into an office covered by blue carpet. Lin informs his boss that the security alarm has been disabled and that their men should be there within the half hour. Lin is worried that they won't be enough to hold off any attack John may decide to launch, but Huang calmly assures him that John will not risk the lives of his family. He is going to surrender without a fight.

3:05 A.M. John jogs through the woods, wincing in pain. He has to stop to catch his breath and clutch his head, which is still hurt from the two plane crashes. Gritting his teeth, John collects his energy and resumes heading toward the industrial park, desperate to save his family.

3:06 A.M.  
Huang takes out his cell phone and calls a man named Geng, who is holding John's wife and daughter at a dimly lit factory. Huang informs Geng that he has arrived at the industrial park and that John should be turning himself in shortly. He instructs Geng to wait at the factory with the hostages and await further instructions. Geng hangs up and creepily rubs the head of John's terrified daughter.

3:07 A.M.  
Jack spots Chloe ahead of him in the forest and calls out to her. Chloe turns around and shoots at him. Unarmed, Jack takes cover behind a tree. He implores Chloe to return to the cabin and leave John and Huang alone. But Chloe does not respond and heads deeper into the woods. Jack runs after her, begging her to stop. He screams that while he doesn't understand what she's going through, she's only going to kill Emily and Jen.

-Commercial Break-

3:12 A.M.  
Audrey warns Springer that Benash is regaining consciousness. Springer goes over to Benash as he lies on the floor and viciously punches him in the head, knocking him back out. Audrey is stunned at Springer's fury. Saul Allen, the director of CTU Washington, calls back and apologizes to Springer for having no leads on the threat to the summit. Springer replies that he may have found one. Saul is confused, and Springer explains that President Gardner decided to keep Benash in the loop in the hope that it would prevent an attack. Springer strongly objected and stole Benash's satellite phone to find out who he has been communicating with, suspecting a terrorist link. He found one blocked number on the phone's contact list. However, before Springer could investigate further, Benash attacked him and injected a syringe filled with some chemical into his chest. Springer believes that Benash is undoubtedly involved with the terrorists threatening Gardner and the other APEC leaders and asks Saul to run a search on the numbers Benash has called. Saul is skeptical and wants to speak with Gardner before he proceeds any further. Biting his lip, Springer quietly says that the President is furious that he went behind his back and would not approve of his most recent actions, which involved knocking out Benash and taking back his phone. Sighing, Saul tells Springer that he does not want to go against the President, but Springer exclaims that Gardner is asleep and that they're running out of time to find out who's behind the terrorist threat. Audrey interjects to reveal that she's working with Springer, explaining that if she felt that what they're doing wasn't absolutely necessary to save lives, she wouldn't have put her career on the line. She beseeches Saul to help them. Saul thinks it over for a moment and agrees to have his office look up the numbers. Springer thanks him, and begins to read the contact names and numbers from Benash's phone.

3:14 A.M.  
John emerges from the trees to return to the factory where he saved Jack and Chloe, which has since been abandoned. But he still warily raises his gun as he crosses the front area. John gets to the dirt road and takes a right, running as fast as he can to Huang's location.

3:15 A.M.  
Chloe sprints through the woods. She stops when she hears Jack's voice in the distance and shoots back at it. "I hate you, Jack!" she shouts. Chloe checks her ammunition and resumes her march.

3:16 A.M.  
Jack pants behind a tree. He cautiously turns around with his arms raised, but determines that Chloe is nowhere to be seen. Losing his cool, Jack screams out to Chloe that he hates Huang for raping her and wants him dead too, but that he can't live with himself if John loses his wife like he lost Teri. However, all that answers him is the wind. "Damn you, Chloe!" Jack cries. He runs after her.

3:17 A.M.  
Lin goes outside Huang's office, where two men are guarding the entrance. He tells them that he is calling in additional security because he doesn't trust John to act rationally when he approaches Huang for his wife and daughter. One of the guards warns Lin about undermining Huang's authority, but Lin would rather take the reprimand than put his life in jeopardy.

3:18 A.M.  
Springer finishes reciting the numbers on Benash's phone. Saul promises to get back to him shortly with any red flags, but agrees with Springer's assessment that all of them appear to be legitimate. Springer reiterates that one of the numbers' ID is blocked, which is why he strongly believes that Benash is helping the terrorists. He wants Saul to have CTU find out what that number is and who Benash has been calling so frequently over the last twelve hours. Saul is hesitant, and Springer offers him a promotion. Saul agrees and asks Springer to connect the phone to his computer through a USB cable so that he can upload the phone contents to CTU, which should be able to determine what that blocked number is. Springer has Audrey fetch the cable from his briefcase and he attaches it to the bottom of the phone. However, when he plugs the other end of the cable to his office computer, Benash's phone immediately starts erasing all of its data. Springer quickly unplugs the phone and desperately tries to stop the deletion process, but it's too late. Springer is deflated as he explains to Saul and Audrey that all evidence of Benash's terrorist involvement is gone. Saul apologizes, and Springer brusquely says it's not his fault and hangs up. Enraged, Springer leaps up from his chair and goes to the unconscious Benash. Audrey begs Springer to calm down, but Springer slams his fist into Benash's face to wake him up. Benash coughs as he tells Springer that he and Audrey will go to jail over this. Springer doesn't care, explaining to Benash that the contents of his phone erased itself when he tried to upload it to CTU. He knows Benash is involved with the terrorists. "But it's not proof," Benash smugly declares. Audrey cringes as Springer punches Benash in the groin, demanding answers. Benash cries for help, but Springer covers his mouth so no one can hear him. Springer says that he may never find proof and may be imprisoned for what he's done, but he needs to know the truth. He punches Benash in the groin again. Benash's eyes water in pain and Springer lifts his hand from Benash's mouth. Benash admits that he is working with the terrorists to attack the summit. Audrey softly pounds Springer's desk as her worst fears are confirmed. Livid, Springer demands to know why Benash is doing this. "What else? Money," Benash answers. Springer calls Benash a sociopath, horrified that Benash is conspiring to kill the President and the other APEC leaders. "Well, at least the world will be rid of those pompous politicians," Benash says with a smirk. Springer venomously asks if the People's Freedom Coalition is behind this threat. Benash darkly replies that they would never have the balls to "change the world" like his boss will. Springer demands to know who Benash's boss is, but Benash just laughs. Springer gets to his feet and tells Benash that while he may not have proof, he's still reporting him to the Secret Service. They'll get the answers out of him. Benash arrogantly declares that Springer and Audrey will be arrested too, but Springer knows that Benash will still be detained for the duration of the summit while the Secret Service investigates. Panicked, Benash swings his feet out so that they slam into Springer's, sending him to the ground. Benash gets up and violently kicks Springer in the head, knocking him out cold. Audrey grabs Benash's shoulder, but he brutally punches her in the head. She falls to the floor.

3:21 A.M.  
With his phone in hand, Benash calmly exits Springer's office as if nothing has happened. He nods to a Secret Service agent and walks down the corridor. Suddenly, a weakened and crawling Audrey opens the office door and cries out Benash's name. Benash bolts. He runs into a Secret Service agent and, before the man can react, grabs him and covers his mouth. As the agent struggles, Benash takes out his syringe and slams it into his chest. The agent goes unconscious and Benash steals his gun from the holster. Cocking the gun, Benash determinedly walks back to Springer's office. But when he gets back to the door, the Secret Service agent Benash nodded to calls out his name. Benash turns around and sees the agent with Audrey in the conference room. Benash winces as the man orders Benash to join them. Benash nervously says he will, stealthily hiding the gun in his back pants. He slowly approaches Audrey and the agent, keeping his right hand behind him. Benash enters the room and closes the door behind him. The agent authoritatively orders Benash to show all his hands, but Benash instead quickly takes out the gun and shoots the agent, killing him. He then grabs Audrey and slams her against the wall, covering her mouth. An evil smile crossing his face, Benash tells Audrey that her father is going to be very upset when he hears that she killed the White House Chief of Staff and two Secret Service agents before turning the gun on herself. Audrey screams that no one will ever believe it. Benash answers that it doesn't matter. Gardner will have no choice but to keep him in the loop, foolishly thinking it will prevent his death. Benash points the gun at Audrey's forehead point blank, but before he can kill her, Springer grabs him from behind. The gun fires, but well above Audrey's head. Audrey is shaken as she watches Benash and Springer struggle over the gun. Springer yells for Audrey to help him. Audrey frantically looks around and sees the dead agent's gun in his holster. Springer sees it as well. "Do it!" Springer shouts. Audrey hesitates. As Benash and Springer struggle, Benash manages to aim the gun near Springer's stomach. Suddenly, a gunshot rings out. Benash turns around in shock as he realizes that Audrey has shot him in the back. A horrified Benash falls to the floor. Springer rushes over to Audrey and hugs her.

-Commercial Break-

3:28 A.M.  
Secret Service agents gather in the conference room. Agent Hollister informs Springer and Audrey that Benash is dead. Still in shock, Audrey whispers that Benash was a terrorist collaborator. Hollister doesn't know what to believe, but does know that an agent is dead and another was found incapacitated from an injection to the heart. Springer explains that he was similarly taken down by a syringe filled with some powerful sedative. An agent confirms to Hollister that they found a syringe in Benash's suit. Springer apologizes to Hollister for lying to him an hour ago, saying that he didn't know who to trust after Benash smuggled that drug onboard and attacked him. Springer swears that he's telling the truth now. Hollister gives Springer the benefit of the doubt, but warns Springer that he'll know the truth once the incapacitated agent wakes up. Springer insists that their story is accurate. Audrey quietly asks whether Gardner knows what has happened. Hollister says that after they found the injured agent, they followed procedure and rushed into the President's office to protect him against any threat to his life. Gardner is awake now, but they're waiting to determine exactly what happened before they brief him on this incident. Audrey begs Hollister to keep the news of Benash's death away from the President and from the press until they land. The death of a news reporter on Air Force One is going to be a major scandal for Gardner and they need time to come up with a palatable explanation. Hollister is fine with allowing Audrey and Springer to run some preemptive damage control, but cannot lie to the President. He makes a snide remark about the two of them lying to him earlier. Springer diffuses the tension by offering to tell Gardner himself. Hollister agrees, and says he will instruct his men not to contact Benash's next of kin for the next two hours. Springer thanks him, ignoring Audrey's disparaging look. Hollister is alerted that the incapacitated agent has recovered in medical and has confirmed that Benash attacked him. Hollister nods grimly as he glances over at Benash's body on the floor. He tells Springer and Audrey that they'll be free to go in a few minutes.

3:31 A.M.  
John finally arrives at the industrial park. After taking a moment to take his breath, John approaches the office guarded by Huang's two men, his arms raised in surrender. The guards still raise their weapons. John cries out that he's going to turn himself in as Huang instructed. The guards order John to slowly walk toward them. John complies, and they frisk him when he gets to the entrance. They find the gun, and John swears that he has no intention of harming Huang. He knows that if Huang dies, so does his wife and daughter. "We know," the guard soothes. He takes the gun and roughly shoves John into the office and down the corridor to Huang's room. The guard knocks on the door, and Lin lets him and John in. "I've been looking forward to this," Huang sinisterly says. The guard explains that John surrendered and was only carrying a single firearm. Huang instructs his guard to place the gun on the desk, and dismisses him and Lin from the room. As an act of good faith, Huang places his gun next to John's, explaining that they'll settle this dispute like gentlemen. John stoically replies that he did exactly what Huang wanted. Now, all John wants is to for Emily and Jen to be set free. "It's not going to be that simple, John," Huang says. He radios Lin to bring in some coffee for the two of them. Huang politely asks John to take a seat. John fights back his disgust at Huang's deflections and sits down on the blue couch.

3:33 A.M.  
Chloe runs past the abandoned factory and onto the dirt road towards the industrial park.

3:34 A.M.  
Springer and Audrey exit the conference room still swarming with Secret Service agents. As they make the quick walk back to Springer's office, Audrey asks Springer if he really does intend to tell Gardner about Benash's death or if what he said a few minutes ago was just a maneuver to get Hollister off their back. Springer wearily answers that the President needs to know, and he needs to know now. He opens his office door to let Audrey in, but Audrey insists that Gardner needs to be kept in the dark as long as possible. She knows Gardner will want to go public with the news right away, not realizing that they need these two hours to come up with something to explain how the hell this happened. "I'm done going behind the President's back," Springer states. He wants to rebuild the trust and friendship he has lost with Gardner. Audrey sighs as she goes into Springer's office, telling Springer that while she understands his desire to regain the President's confidence, there's no time to indulge in their personal feelings. Audrey frantically explains that the National Security Advisor just killed a news reporter on Air Force One; if Gardner doesn't present that truth in the right way, at the right time, it will do irreparable damage to his presidency. Springer calms her down, caressing her hair. He consolingly tells her that she just went through a horrible ordeal and that he wants the whole world to know what Benash forced her to do. He wants the world to know the truth - the raw, ugly truth - of what has happened. While it's the President's call, Springer knows that Gardner needs to be told as soon as possible. Audrey is still uneasy, but Springer assures her that the American public will reward them for their honesty. However, they'll never forgive being lied to. Audrey is convinced and smiles as she says that she'll support him.

3:36 A.M.  
Lin brings the two guards cups of coffee. One of them scoffs that Lin had nothing to worry about. John was too afraid for his family to come in shooting. But Lin is still wary of John and knows they can never be too careful. One of the guards warns Lin about the consequences, but Lin doesn't care, expressing his distaste at Huang for wasting their time negotiating with John. Lin would rather kill John and his family and get back to focusing on the mission.

3:37 A.M.  
Huang hands John a cup of coffee, and John looks at it suspiciously. A bit hurt, Huang tells John that he has nothing personal against him. He knows John was just doing his job when he infiltrated the terrorist cell. John sneers that it became personal when Huang took his wife and daughter. Huang assures John that his only objective is to kill the APEC leaders; he has no intention of harming Emily and Jen. He only needed them as leverage. Huang calmly promises that if he and John can work out an arrangement, he'll be reunited with them within an hour and free to spend the rest of their lives together. John takes a sip from the coffee and angrily gets up from the couch, saying that he'll only agree to whatever "arrangement" Huang wants if he gets to talk to his family and know that they're still alive. Huang gives John a tight smile. "I'll see what I can do," Huang says.

-Commercial Break-

3:42 A.M.  
Huang hands John a cell phone, explaining that his family on the other end of the line. John gets on and is elated to hear his wife's voice. Emily says that their captor told them that he is negotiating for their release. Wiping away a tear, John says that he is. He tells his wife that he is going to do whatever it takes to save her and Jen. Emily breaks down, crying that she's so scared. John sniffles that he'll be there soon. Emily asks Geng to let Jen speak to her father. Geng hands the phone to Jen, and John assures the little girl that he's coming to rescue her and that she no longer needs to be afraid. "I love you, Daddy," Jen weeps. John cries as he says he loves her too and that he's so proud of her for staying strong. John has Jen give the phone back to her mother, and John apologizes for letting his job put them in harm's way. Through tears, Emily absolves John of his guilt, knowing the person ultimately responsible for their predicament is the kidnapper. Huang emotionlessly looks over John as he painfully talks with his family. He instructs John to end their conversation. John tells Emily that he has to go, but that he'll be there within an hour and leaving with them. Emily thanks her husband and expresses her love. John says he loves her too and hangs up. Huang, unaffected by what he has witnessed, coldly takes back the phone from the weeping John and tells him that he'll give him a moment to recover before he makes his offer.

3:44 A.M.  
Jack approaches the abandoned factory, severely tired from the running and everything else that has happened today. He leans back against a tree, heaving. Although low on energy and in pain, Jack gets moving again. He jogs to the dirt road and calls out for Chloe, shouting that this is not the answer. But, yet again, Jack gets no response. Jack grunts in distress and begins to jog down the road.

3:45 A.M.  
Audrey comes back into Springer's office to let him know that Secret Service has still not cleared the President's office. Springer intends to tell Gardner about Benash's death the moment the President is alone. Springer admits to Audrey that he wasn't sure he was up to this job when Gardner was unexpectedly elevated to the presidency. He thought he had grown into it over the past two years; that he had gotten used to the pressure. But after today, Springer now knows that he still has much to learn. He just wishes that such revelation didn't have to come at the potential cost of his friendship with Gardner. Audrey assures Springer that this has just been a bad day and that the two of them will work it out. But Springer isn't so sure.

3:46 A.M.  
John finishes his coffee and gets up from the couch, irritably demanding to know what in hell Huang wants from him in return for his family's safety. Huang calmly tells John to settle down, gently touching him on the shoulder. John recoils from the contact, and furiously tells Huang to stop making him jump through hoops. He wants to get this over with. Huang disingenuously apologizes for making this matter more unpleasant for John. Huang explains that what he wants is John's job. John is confused, and Huang elaborates that his demand is very simple: John must give up his career in Delta Force. If John wants to see Emily and Jen again, he cannot make any more communications with the United States government, either to warn them about the attack or inform them of his whereabouts. Deeply conflicted, John frets that if Jack and Chloe escape the country and alert his superiors that he survived the helicopter crash but failed to complete his mission, they'll hunt him down and throw him in jail for desertion. Huang assures John that Jack and Chloe do not know enough to stop the successful mass assassination of the APEC leaders. And as for worrying about the U.S. military coming after him, Huang tells John that he and his family must never leave China. If John and his wife and daughter ever try to escape, Huang will be the one to hunt them down and kill them. John steps back as a wave of nausea hits him. He asserts that what Huang is proposing isn't really freedom. His family will still be held hostage, forced to live in fear of the Chinese government ever finding out about their existence. "That's the price you must pay for screwing with ME," Huang snarls.

-Commercial Break-

3:52 A.M.  
The last Secret Service agent leaves Gardner's office, and Springer lightly taps on the President's open door. Gardner lets him come in, saying that Agent Hollister explained that Springer wanted to tell him in person why he was woken up from a deep sleep by Secret Service agents who feared for his life. Springer apologizes for undermining his authority at every turn for the last ten hours. He knows it was wrong, but he was desperate to protect Gardner's presidency. Gardner accepts Springer's apology, explaining that he hired Springer to be his chief of staff specifically because he knew he would not be a lap dog. He wanted someone who WOULD challenge him from time to time, and he got it. But Gardner gets to the point, bluntly asking what prompted Secret Service to take action to protect him and if it involved Benash. Springer gulps. "Sir, Liam Benash is dead," Springer says. Gardner is stunned and demands to know what happened. Springer quietly explains that Audrey shot him in self-defense after Benash killed a Secret Service agent and was about to kill him. Gardner turns around in his chair to look out the window, horrified, as Springer reveals that their worst fears were realized - Benash was collaborating with the terrorists threatening the summit.

3:54 A.M.  
Chloe jogs down the dirt road and spots the industrial park in the distance. She dives into the woods to avoid being seen. Seething with anger, Chloe slowly walks through the trees, steely keeping her eyes focused on the guards. When she gets to a position where the guards are directly in her line of sight, Chloe violently cocks her gun and makes her move.

3:55 A.M.  
John frustratingly puts his fingers to his nose as he explains to Huang that he is not going to force his family to spend the rest of their lives in China, especially when the Chinese government is after him for violating their sovereignty. Huang assures John that the Chinese don't even know he exists. He has a vested interest in making sure the Chinese don't find out about John and the seriousness of the threat to the summit, so he never alerted them about the chopper crash and his escape. And Huang has been monitoring all government and media channels all evening and there's been no mention of any crash or political prisoner; the United States covered its tracks. John realizes that this is true, but maintains that Huang's conditions are unacceptable. He'll never be able to file for citizenship because he and his family entered the country illegally. Huang simply says that's John's problem and that if he wants to have a chance with his family, he must take the deal. John is torn.

3:56 A.M.  
The guards outside Huang's office are talking amongst themselves. One of them expresses to the other that he is glad they didn't have to make the call to bring in additional reinforcements. The man agrees that Huang is being reckless with his handling of John. Yuan, the leader of the reinforcements, calls in to report that they're five minutes out. But before the guard can respond, he and the other are taken down by Chloe's gunshots. Chloe doggedly approaches the office door. One of the guards struggles to reach for his gun, but Chloe shoots him again to kill him. Enraged, Chloe slams opens the door and marches down the corridor. She runs into Lin, who quickly raises his gun. There is a standoff. "You're not going to shoot me, bitch," Lin smugly says. Chloe fires two shots into him. She then coldly pulls Lin's gun from his lifeless fingers.

3:57 A.M.  
Inside Huang's office, Huang and John have not had any time to react to the gunshots when Chloe bursts in with her gun raised. John manages to grab his gun from the desk, but doesn't fire when he sees it is Chloe. Petrified, Huang is pushed back into the corner of the office. John begs Chloe to stop, explaining that Huang is the only one who knows where his wife and daughter are being held. Chloe stops short of pulling the trigger when she hears John's voice. "Huang raped me!" Chloe exclaims, tears streaming down her face. John is horrified and asks Huang if it's true. Huang admits that he did rape her and desperately apologizes to Chloe, claiming that he needed her to fulfill his urges. Chloe screams that Huang is a monster. His gun hand shaking, John nervously tells Chloe that he agrees that Huang is an evil man, but he can't let her kill his only hope of saving his family. Chloe cries out that John's family is already dead. Rubbing his sweaty palms, Huang frantically explains that he feels no ill will toward John and that Emily and Jen are alive and well. John just got to talk with them. John exclaims that it's true. Tightening her grip on the shaking gun, Chloe reiterates her belief that regardless of what Huang claims, John's wife and daughter are already dead, just like Huang destroyed her life. She'll never be able to forget what Huang did to her and it's tearing her apart. Huang begs John not to let Chloe kill him. John tries to approach Chloe, but she screams that he's a coward. Huang stabbed her right in the heart by raping her and now John is letting him live. John painfully moans that he has no choice. Chloe screeches that John has no idea what she's going through. Huang ruined her life and now she's going to end his. Beyond terrified, Huang pleads with John to intervene, reminding John that he has the power to save Emily and Jen. But they will die if he dies. Crying, John desperately asks a weeping Chloe to put down her weapon and let him handle this. "I'm sorry, John," Chloe says. "I can't let this animal live." Chloe begins to pull the trigger, but John shoots her in the side. As she looks at John in shock, Huang retrieves his gun from the desk and shoots Chloe in the chest. She falls to the floor. 


	12. 4:00 AM  5:00 AM

4:00 A.M. - 5:00 A.M.

4:00 A.M.  
John collapses to the floor next to Chloe as Huang informs his subordinate Yuan over the phone that the situation has been resolved. "What have I done?" John exclaims, looking at Chloe's bloodied body. Huang calmly answers that John was saving his life. John is deeply upset over what has happened, but Huang assures him that Chloe gave him no choice. It was what had to be done to save Emily and Jen. John wipes away the tears as he says that he'll do whatever Huang wants. He just wants to be with his wife and daughter. Huang kindly pats John's shoulder, saying that he is indebted to him for saving his life. The only way he can think to repay that debt is to allow John to reunite with his wife and daughter and return to the United States, with no conditions attached. John can't believe it. Huang smiles as he says it's the only honorable thing to do. Huang says that a man named Geng is holding Emily and Jen at an abandoned factory just down the road. He will instruct him to leave them alone once John arrives. John is euphoric and hugs Huang, thanking him repeatedly. Huang replies that he can't thank John enough for saving his life.

4:03 A.M.  
Chloe opens her eyes. She is still alive. Chloe struggles to breathe as she looks up and sees John and Huang hugging. John thanks Huang again and runs off to be with his family, not even looking at Chloe as she lies on the floor. After John closes the door, Huang coldly looks down at Chloe's body, but she is already playing dead. Huang takes out his radio and calls Yuan, instructing him to have Xin and another man pick up Chloe's body and dump it. They're moving out to the staging area. Huang casually steps over Chloe as he leaves the room. He has no reaction when he spots Lin's body outside the office.

4:05 A.M.  
John is running down the dirt road when he spots several humvees approaching the industrial park. He dives into the woods and watches as they pass and assemble outside Huang's office. John reemerges and resumes heading toward the factory. Huang joins Yuan and his men outside the office and tells Xin and another man where Chloe's body is. He instructs two other men to dump Lin's body as well. Xin and the other man walk into the building as Huang jumps into the humvee with Yuan and orders his men to move. Inside, Chloe plays dead when Xin and the other man enter the office. Xin takes out a couple of black plastic trash bags and begins to wrap Chloe up. Chloe bravely does not flinch as the men secure her in the bags. She opens her eyes and looks around nervously once her whole body's been covered. Xin takes out a roll of tape and slides a piece across the bag covering her chest and torso. His hand grazes her wound and Chloe manages to hold in her scream. Xin and his subordinate pick up Chloe's body and carry her outside to their humvee.

4:08 A.M.  
As Xin and his man load Chloe's body into their vehicle, Jack watches from behind a tree. He is greatly weakened and tired. Unable to stand, Jack collapses to his knees as he sees the two men depart. Unarmed, Jack has no choice but to allow the humvee to leave unimpeded. His eyes narrow as it vanishes into the night, deeply worried whose dead body is in that vehicle. Once Jack perceives that he is clear, he grabs a loose branch next to him and begins to approach the office. Although grunting in pain, Jack carefully walks toward the office door, keeping a keen eye out for any of Huang's men and his blunt weapon at the ready. Jack approaches the door from the side, opening it slightly before using the branch to open it fully. Keeping the branch ahead of him, Jack slowly goes down the corridor, carefully testing each office door he passes. They're all locked. He stops suddenly when he spots the pool of blood where Lin's body once was. Jack cautiously opens the unlocked door to Huang's office and enters. He quickly determines that the room is clear, but his heart drops when he spots the blood on the floor. Jack urgently moves around the empty room, desperate to figure out whose blood he has discovered both inside and outside the office.

4:11 A.M.  
Deflated, Jack is about to leave, thinking that there's no way he can find out what happened here, when he spots a security camera in the corner of the room. The light is green. Jack goes to the computer on the office desk and hurriedly turns it on. It's not password-protected and Jack manages to access the security footage from that camera. He rewinds the archived video and gasps when he sees John shoot Chloe in the side, followed shortly by Huang's shot to the chest. Horrified, Jack puts his shaking hand to his forehead as he stares at Chloe's lifeless body on the monitor. "I'm so sorry, Chloe," Jack whispers to himself, his eyes watering. Collecting himself, he fast forwards the tape, but stops when he sees Huang pointing in the direction where John's family is. Jack can't believe it as the video shows John hugging Huang in relief. Sickened, Jack bends down and vomits on the floor. Jack breaks down in tears, distraught at what has transpired. In a daze, he gets up off the chair and glances at the monitor, seeing Xin and his man wrap up Chloe's apparently dead body in the black plastic bags. Unable to watch anymore, he smashes the computer screen with the branch and marches out of the room.

-Commercial Break-

4:17 A.M.  
Xin and his partner arrive at a streambed with Chloe's body in the back of their humvee. As the men get out, Chloe quietly coughs up blood as she lies in the plastic bag. Fighting for her life, Chloe desperately claws at the black plastic. She manages to break it open as Xin and his subordinate are about to pick up her body and take it to the stream. They're stunned when they see a bloodied and panicked Chloe emerge from the plastic bag and lunge at them. Chloe struggles with the men. Despite her grievous wound, Chloe brutally elbows Xin in the groin, sending him to the ground. The other man grabs Chloe in a chokehold, forcing her to violently cough up more blood, but she manages to take Xin's gun from his holster and shoots him in the chest. She clumsily smacks the back of her head into the other and the man releases Chloe as he clutches his broken nose. Following another ugly cough, Chloe turns around and shoots him as well. Chloe collapses into the dirt from the strain. She lays face-first - on the verge of unconsciousness - for several moments before gathering the strength to get up and stumble to the front door of the humvee. Stubbornly clinging to life, Chloe climbs in and speeds off.

4:19 A.M.  
Audrey enters the President's office and Gardner gets out of his chair to hug her, telling her how sorry he is that she had to shoot Benash. Audrey thanks him, assuring Gardner that she's experienced far worse in her life. Returning to his desk, Gardner says he knows that all too well. Springer chimes in that she's never killed a person and kindly asks if she's doing okay. Audrey answers that she is, expressing that Springer would be dead if she hadn't intervened. Springer takes her hand in sympathy as Gardner informs her that he's decided to reject her recommendation and disclose to the press the whole truth about Benash. Audrey bites her lip and releases Springer's hand, giving him a stern look. The President tells her that he understands her reservations, but he's not going to make another mistake today. He should've listened to Springer and stood up to the terrorists. But he didn't and now the only one who could've provided information on the threat to the summit is dead. Audrey asserts that there's going to be fallout and implores the President to hide his capitulation to terrorist demands, but Gardner strongly counters that complete honesty has been the policy of his administration and he's not going to change that. He could've hidden Logan's treason from the public to protect the party, but he didn't and he was rewarded for that. Audrey replies that this is all on Gardner this time and that his presidency may never recover. "Be that as it may, I'm still gonna come clean," Gardner stoically responds. Springer turns around and gently touches Audrey's shoulder, telling her that this day will pass and the American public will forgive them. Audrey looks away from Springer and Gardner, twisting her lip, but reluctantly gives in. Gardner thanks her and calls Nadia to come to his office at once.

4:21 A.M.  
John arrives at the abandoned factory. He carefully enters with his arms raised in surrender. The dimly lit factory casts a red light on his somber face. Geng is casually leaning back in a chair, smoking a cigarette, when John announces his presence. Geng stands up and haughtily walks toward John. He shakes his hand, telling John that his family is waiting for him in a makeshift bedroom. Still devastated over what he believes was Chloe's death, John softly instructs Geng to take him there and then leave. Geng leads John to a small room where Emily and Jen are lying in two beds. John tenderly calls out Emily's name, but she doesn't stir. John is concerned, but Geng assures him that they're just sleeping. A lump in his throat, John slowly approaches his wife and gently rubs her shoulder, but nothing happens. John turns Emily over and is horrified when he sees her eyes wide open. She is dead. Giggling, Geng tells a nauseated John that Huang wanted to give them back, but he couldn't help himself. He snuffed them out with the pillows. Quietly crying, John closes Emily's eyes and whispers that he's so sorry he couldn't save her. Dazed, John crawls to his dead daughter. "Why?" John asks through his tears. "Why would you do this?" Absolutely gleeful, Geng says that he loves the look of little girls as the life is squeezed out of them. John's grief turns to rage when he hears this and he lunges at Geng. He viciously punches Geng, knocking the gun away from his hand. A bloodied Geng begs John to stop, but John has become an animal and doesn't listen. He throws Geng into the main area of the factory and continues his brutal assault. John spots a knife on a table and grabs it. He stabs Geng over and over again, distraught over his wife and daughter's deaths. After inflicting countless knife wounds, John finally finishes and throws the weapon across the floor. He breaks down next to Geng's body, crying uncontrollably. Through the sobs, John whispers Emily and Jen's names repeatedly.

-Commercial Break-

4:28 A.M.  
Jack cautiously enters the abandoned factory and sees John sitting on the floor next to Geng's bloodied body, crying. "My God, John, what have you done?" Jack darkly asks. John weeps that Emily and Jen are dead. Geng betrayed Huang and killed them - for his own sick pleasure. Spotting Geng's gun on the floor, Jack coldly tells John that there was a security camera in that office. He knows John helped Huang murder Chloe. Fighting back tears, Jack gravely says that he saw John shoot her. He watched her die. Sobbing, John screams that he had no choice; Chloe was going to kill Huang. He had to try to save his family. "They're dead!" John bawls. "Oh Jack, they're dead!" John weeps that he's lost everything. Guardedly walking over to Geng's gun, Jack apologizes to John, knowing exactly what he's going through. "But why John? Why did you have to kill Chloe?" Jack painfully asks. John shrieks that Chloe lost her mind and was going to shoot Huang in cold blood. Picking up the gun, Jack bitterly says that he saved John's life, and John repaid him by killing his friend - one of the only good things he had left. Standing up, John angrily exclaims that he didn't kill Chloe; Huang did. Aiming his gun at John, Jack fiercely counters that it doesn't matter. Chloe is dead because of him. John snaps to, raising his gun at Jack. He shouts at Jack to stop thinking about himself for once and realize that shooting Chloe was the only way he could have a chance to save his family. "You would've done the same thing, Jack!" John declares. Jack answers that he would never shoot his friend, and in the short time they had together, he and Chloe considered John a friend. John screeches that he had to put his family ahead of his "new friend," and tells Jack to let him mourn his wife and daughter in peace. Jack does not move, keeping his gun trained on John. "Get the hell out of here!" John bellows before shooting at Jack, who dives to the ground and fires back. John flees into the deeper part of the factory, shooting at Jack. A vicious look coming across his face, Jack gets up and fires back as he pursues John.

4:32 A.M.  
John climbs a ladder to get to the overhang. Jack doggedly charges after him, shooting. John returns the fire as he ascends. He screams at Jack to leave him the hell alone, but Jack only answers by shooting at him. John fires back as he runs to take cover behind a crate. Jack climbs up to the upper level and darts to take position behind a metal outcropping as John shoots. Jack fires at the crate, the two men exchange gunfire. John's gun runs out of ammunition and Jack smiles when he hears the clicking sound. Jack runs to the crate to attack John, who charges Jack likewise. They get in a brutal fistfight. Jack manages to slam John to the ground and grab him by the throat. But John does not give in, instead viciously grabbing Jack's throat. Both men try to strangle the life out of the other. About to lose consciousness, Jack releases John, violently punching him in the face. John lunges at Jack, returning the brutal punches. Jack is thrown to the floor and as he lies dazed, John spits out a tooth. Jack scrambles to his feet and viciously attacks John, clawing his face. John slams his head into Jack's, but Jack takes it in stride and continues to fight back. Jack punches John's broken left arm, and John screams. As John recoils from the pain, Jack roughly pushes John to the railing. Shrieking like a wild animal, Jack ruthlessly strikes John all over his upper torso. He eventually hits John so hard that he tumbles over the railing and onto the floor below them. John lands on his broken arm. As John cries out again, Jack fearlessly jumps off the overhang and lands next to John. He goes to connect on another blow, but John swings his foot and violently kicks Jack in the groin. Jack stumbles away in agony, and now it's John with the advantage as he unloads all his anger and grief on Jack, mercilessly punching him. During the assault, John leads the bloodied and dazed Jack outside the factory. He throws Jack to the ground and says that he warned him. But Jack screams that John needs to pay for what he's done and lunges at John, biting his arm. Jack slams John to the factory wall, and the fight continues.

4:35 A.M.  
Chloe starts to lose focus as she desperately drives through a suburban neighborhood. After yet another violent cough, spitting up a large amount of blood, Chloe falls unconscious and her head slams against the wheel. Out cold, her foot presses down on the accelerator and the humvee crashes into the concrete wall of a building. The destroyed vehicle just sits there for several moments, as a startled Chinese woman - still in her pajamas - runs out of her house to investigate the accident. Suddenly, the front door bursts open, and a badly injured Chloe falls out. Blood dripping from her mouth, Chloe desperately crawls away from the humvee. The woman scampers to her and asks in Mandarin what happened. But Chloe doesn't know the language and just looks feebly up at the woman, before collapsing sideward. She falls onto the pavement on her back. The woman sees that Chloe is a Westerner and asks her in passable English what happened. Chloe gurgles that she was shot and that the bullet is still in her. More concerned people come scurrying over to assist them as the woman vows to get Chloe medical attention. She cries out for someone to call 120. Chloe helplessly stares up at the black sky.

-Commercial Break-

4:41 A.M.  
Riding in his humvee with Yuan, Huang takes out his cell phone to call Geng. But no one answers and Huang instead gets Geng's voicemail. Huang knows something is wrong and orders Yuan to turn around. "And hurry," Huang says anxiously.

4:42 A.M.  
Springer, Audrey, Duluth, and Nadia are assembled in the President's office, going over their press release on Benash's death with Gardner. Nadia still can't believe that Benash was a traitor and a murderer. She always knew that he was a blowhard and "a little bitch," but never thought he was capable of treason and terrorism. Gardner sighs that Benash played them all, but now it's time for the truth to come out. The President plans to be honest with the American people on the fact that he capitulated to the demands of a credible terrorist group. He allowed a terrorist collaborator to leak confidential matters to the press. Audrey raises her hand to object, but Gardner refuses to absolve himself of all the damage to America's diplomatic relationships he let happen. He also takes personal responsibility for Benash taking the life of a Secret Service agent and forcing Audrey to kill him in self-defense. Gardner reads the statement one last time and thanks his team for all their hard work. It's been a very tough twelve hours, but they're still here. And the summit will be better for it. Gardner instructs Nadia to wake the press corps and distribute the statement immediately. Nadia takes the piece of paper from Gardner and leaves. Once Nadia closes the door, Duluth tells the President that he agrees with disclosing all of Benash's crimes, but he's still concerned that even though the statement doesn't mention it at all, the Chinese will piece it together that Benash was behind the "fabricated report" about the chopper crash and determine that the story is very much true. The United States cannot afford to have China discover that they violated their sovereignty. Gardner tells Duluth that trying to take down one of the most dangerous terrorist organizations in the Far East served the greater good, and if the Chinese figure out the truth, they'll deal with it when the time comes. "Right now, we have more pressing matters to attend to..." the President grumbles as he stares at the dossier of Liam Benash on his computer screen.

4:44 A.M.  
An unconscious Chloe is loaded into an ambulance. An oxygen mask is on her face. The first responder tells the woman that found Chloe that the patient has lost a lot of blood. They may not be able to save her. He thanks the woman and quickly gets in the vehicle. The woman watches as the ambulance containing Chloe speeds off to the hospital.

4:45 A.M.  
Jack and John continue their epic fight as the two men stumble into the woods surrounding the abandoned factory. John slams Jack to the back of a tree and tries to grab his neck, but Jack fights through the pain and bites John's finger. John calls Jack a son of a bitch and punches his mouth. When Jack is momentarily dazed, John grabs Jack and throws him into a streambed. John jumps in after him, and water splashes as Jack and John roll over one another, viciously fighting. Jack manages to get the upper hand and pushes John underwater, trying to drown him, but he punches Jack into the chest and is released. He stands up and kicks Jack in the legs. Jack refuses to back down and charges at John. As they continue to exchange punches in the shallow stream, Jack tells John that he thought he was an honorable man. "Chloe got in my way," John sneers as he slams Jack to the streambed. "Deal with it." Jack is even further incensed and ferociously attacks John, beating him senseless. He makes a final kick to John's groin, and as he recoils in pain, Jack scrambles up to the high ground of the stream bank. Jack quickly takes out the gun from inside his shirt and turns around to face John. As he lies on the dirt, Jack cocks the weapon. John slowly rises out of the water and begins to walk toward Jack, who hurriedly gets to his feet and stands up to aim his gun at the moving John. Jack steely orders John not to try it. But it seems as if John cannot hear him. His bloodied and pained eyes stare deep into Jack's, silently letting him know he considers him prey to take down. John suddenly lunges at Jack, but he shoots John right in the chest, sending him splashing into the stream below. Lowering the smoking gun, Jack sadly goes to the edge of the bank to see John coughing up blood and water. "I saved your life!" Jack painfully exclaims. Jack explains that he escaped from that prison and became a fugitive for John's sake. "For you! For you!" Jack cries. But now Chloe is dead because of him. Spitting out more blood, John shrieks that he hates Jack. Shaking his pursed lips, Jack tells John that he admired the great risk he took - both professionally and personally - on his covert mission to stop Huang. Jack considered John an equal. He reveals to John that when Huang ambushed the campsite earlier tonight, he had to make a split-second decision: whether to get him or Chloe out of the line of fire. Jack says that he didn't hesitate dragging the unconscious John to safety. And as a result, Chloe was captured and raped, which would ultimately lead to her death. Now Jack wishes he had chosen to let John be taken down in the crossfire. "I understand about Emily and Jen, I do. But Chloe didn't have to die," Jack says, wiping away a tear and raising his gun. "Finish it," John sloshes. His gun shaking wildly, Jack agonizingly looks at John as he lies helplessly in the stream, the water turning red from the blood. But he can't pull the trigger. Jack slowly lowers the gun. After one last solemn look, Jack turns around and silently walks away, leaving John to die on his own terms.

-Commercial Break-

4:52 A.M.  
On the stream bank, an arm comes out of the water and grabs the dirt. A severely weakened John begins to climb out of the stream.

Huang runs into the abandoned factory and is horrified when he sees Geng's bloodied body on the floor, with countless stab wounds. As Yuan comes jogging in after his boss, Huang finds Geng's cell phone on the table and pockets it. Huang looks around cautiously for any sign of John. Yuan reports that Emily and Jen are dead in the other room, apparently by suffocation. "That son of a bitch," Huang sighs, looking down at Geng's corpse. Huang radios his men to ask if John is anywhere nearby. They answer in the negative, and Huang tells Yuan that John is probably long gone, but he'll be too distraught to even think about alerting the authorities. By the time he's calmed down, it'll be too late. Huang leads Yuan out of the factory, all while Jack watches from behind a tree, his gun aimed. When Huang enters his sights, Jack pulls the trigger, but the gun clicks empty. Jack holds in his curse as Huang authoritatively gets in the vehicle and drives off.

4:53 A.M.  
Once he is in the clear, Jack darts into the factory and sees that Geng's cell phone has been taken away. He twists his lip and sighs in frustration. Jack then glances toward the room where Emily and Jen's bodies still lie and forlornly walks there. He mournfully looks over John's late wife and daughter as they lie peacefully in their beds. His lip trembles. "She died for nothing," Jack whispers.

4:54 A.M.  
Huang is pensively looking out his window riding down the dirt road when he thinks he sees something and orders Yuan to stop the vehicle. Yuan asks his boss what's wrong as Huang hurriedly gets out of the vehicle. Huang looks curiously into the dark woods. Squinting, he tells Yuan that he thought he saw a man collapsing to the ground in the trees. Huang orders Yuan to wait a moment as he takes off. Yuan calls out to him, but Huang doesn't acknowledge him. Huang enters the woods and warily looks around. He stops when he sees John lying face-first in the dirt, coughing. He leans down next to John and tells the wounded man that it's Huang and that he wants to help. John can't believe it when he looks up and sees the terrorist. He coughs and weakly shakes his head. "Leave me to die," John murmurs. Huang says that he knows how much John hates him, but he needs to know the extent of his injuries. John doesn't have the strength to object as Huang crawls over and sees the exit wound on his back. He inspects it carefully. Huang gently tells John that he needs to flip him over. John just coughs again. Huang tenderly takes John by the torso and turns him over. He checks all the wounds Jack has inflicted, from the brutal punches to the gunshot. John breathes rapidly, but Huang comforts John, telling him that while it's still bleeding, the gunshot wound is not that serious. The bullet went through and through, and apparently did not hit any major organs or arteries. Once they bandage him up, he'll be fine. John is momentarily relieved, but realizes his survival is really a pyrrhic victory. Huang sees John's deflation and reassuringly says it's going to be okay. But all John can do is whisper his wife and daughter's names. Huang sadly looks away in understanding, saying that he knows what happened and is so sorry. He assures John that Geng was a sick man and disobeyed a direct order; Huang never wanted to bring any pain to him. "I have nothing left..." John sobs. Huang wipes away a tear as he says that he knows. "But I'm going to take care of you, John," Huang promises. "You saved my life. I owe you one, buddy." John looks up into Huang's kindly eyes and thanks him through his tears. Huang compassionately pats John on the shoulder, calling out to Yuan to bring him a first aid kit immediately.

4:56 A.M.  
Jack leaves the abandoned factory, his eyes watered. He takes a deep breath before proceeding to walk toward the dirt road. Jack stops for a moment to think about the horrific night he has had to endure. But, knowing he is now the only hope of stopping this attack on the summit, he sets off down the road. In the distance are the glistening lights of Beijing.

4:57 A.M.  
John's chest and back is wrapped up in a bandage and with Huang and Yuan's help, he lifts himself off the dirt and slowly walks toward the humvee. A tear drops down his cheek. Huang tells John that he knows exactly what he's going through. He was once a soldier in the Chinese army and a respected, decorated fighter. His wife was targeted by a man professing solidarity with the Taiwanese plight. Her death is what prompted him to turn against the oppressive Chinese regime - the whole world order really - and the impossible sacrifices it forces its citizens and trusted servants to make. They've lost the moral authority to lead the Chinese people. But today, that regime and others like it will finally fall. As Huang gently loads John into the backseat, he tells the broken man that the real reason his wife and daughter are dead is not because of Geng. It's really the American government. They never should've forced him to infiltrate his organization and put their lives in danger. Emily and Jen are dead because of them. John silently sobs as Huang walks around the vehicle and gets into the seat next to him. Huang orders Yuan to take them back to the compound and then gently puts his hand on John's shoulder. He tells John that he's been in this spot as well, having lost everything to events outside of one's control, but, together, they're going to take back control. Huang assures John that his plan to wipe out the APEC leaders cannot fail. Chinese President Bao will be dead by the end of the day, as will President Gardner, the man who personally authorized John's covert mission. Huang wants John to join him in his mission to take down the corrupt countries that have taken away their loved ones. John looks at Huang darkly, his grief and his rage at everything that has happened to him today building. Huang pleads with John to help him, saying that he deserved a happy life with Emily and Jen, not one enslaved to the evil American empire. And the only way to avenge that tragedy is to join him. John closes his eyes in agony, grieving his family. After an excruciating moment, John makes his decision. "Yes," John says, staring off into space, his eyes empty. "My life has been taken away from me. And to the people responsible, I'm just an acceptable loss." Huang smiles and thanks him, assuring John that Gardner will be dead within a few hours. He and the government will pay for what they've done. John looks down in anguish at his shaking right hand as grim resolve comes over his battered face.

Fade to Black...

Silent clock. 


End file.
